I hope this letter finds you in great health and wonderful spirits. I am 32 years old, unemployed, and live in Ruther Glen, VA. I am a fairly recent college graduate, having graduated in 2012 from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology. But, I am having the hardest time trying to find employment of any kind. I have been looking everywhere for almost two years.submitting multiple résumés, attending dozens of interviews.but still, I have no job. I believe the major reason why I haven't been able to obtain employment is because I have a criminal record.
In 2008, I was terminated from Wawa Food Markets for stealing gift cards. During the time, I was in severe financial distress. I was using my paycheck to pay my bills, and used the gift cards to purchase food. I was an idiot, a bonehead, and let my pride get the best of me because I did not want to burden anyone with my problems. I also did not want to seem like a beggar. My actions led me to be sentenced in the Circuit Court of Stafford County, VA, on February 6, 2009, to two years in jail, with one year and eleven months suspended. I only served 26 days in jail, and was released on March 4, 2009. While incarcerated, the commanding officers asked me why I was in there. I told them that I was stupid and made a grave error in judgment. They told me that I did not seem like the type of person that belonged in jail, and that when I was to be released, they did not want to see me back in their jail or in any other jail. I promised them that that would be my first, last, and only time in jail, and I have kept that promise. Two days after I was released, I paid off all my fines, restitution, and court costs. In June 2009, I was officially released from probation. The Commonwealth of Virginia restored most of my civil rights on March 29, 2011.
Before I was incarcerated, I had applied to attend George Mason University.
