1. April 16th, 2012
Judges, Senior Project
Creekview High School
1550 Owens Store Road
Canton, GA 30115
Dear Judges,
My name is Nathan Hayenga and I am currently a senior at Creekview High School. I am
planning to attend Georgia Southern University in august to pursue a degree in business and
accounting. However, I do not want the degree to get a job in business; I want to use it as a
pathway into law school. This would allow me to have a career as an attorney, which is my final
goal. My senior project was to create and file an appeal to the Cherokee County Court system in
an attempt to lower the appraised value of my home. I picked to give me a taste of what my work
would be as an attorney.
My product was the Appeal that would be filed with the county courthouse. It is a form,
but the form is only the beginning, in order for the appeal to accomplish anything it must include
evidence to show how the new estimate is correct. The reason we need an appeal system,
property taxes, is what my research paper was about. I learned about the history and function of
the Ad Valorem tax, which gave me an insight into the evolution of government with how simple
it used to be compared to now. My biggest struggle with my project was finding the correct
forms and appropriate information for use in my product. So many different forms are out there,
some with identical functions, but with differing specifics, such as location and function of the
property. But, I managed to wade through the legal good and make a presentable case, something
many adults struggle to accomplish.
My research paper’s topic was the function and origin of that Ad Valorem tax. This
knowledge can help me with any career involving taxes, due to the fact the Ad Valorem tax is
the oldest tax we have record of. More specifically, an entire industry is built around the appeals
process, with firms dedicated to nothing more than creating appeals. I found this comforting
because my goal of becoming an attorney is very lofty, and if the only degree I get is a
bachelor’s in business and accounting I will still always have the opportunity of a job filing
appeals. I also learned that creating logical arguments is fairly simple, something that will be
very beneficial in a career concerning law.
Over all, I do think that the senior project benefited me; even though it occurred during
an extremely busy time for most seniors. I felt that I learned a lot about government and the legal
system. I also learned that if I am going to be successful in a law career I am going to have to
work very hard to learn as much about the system as I possibly can. I learned I am going to have
to work very hard in college. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Nathan A. Hayenga