Margot Pickering Aspiring Attorney Scholarship

My interest has always been grounded in people. In the moments where I have watched someone navigate a broken system without the tools to fight back, or seen a child carry a weight they should never have to carry alone. Those moments do not leave you. They ask something of you. For me, the answer has always pointed toward law. At Kansas State University, studying Political Science and Economics has given me the frameworks to understand how power, policy, and institutions shape people's lives. But it is my work outside the classroom that has given those frameworks meaning. As a Student Ambassador for the College of Arts and Sciences and a Pre-Law Ambassador, I have spent considerable time helping peers think through their futures, listening, advising, and advocating. In have loved these opportunities to give back through volunteer leadership at the school and through my participation in these organizations, I have realized that advocacy is something I work to provide naturally, in almost every role I occupy. Another place that I get to advocate for other students on campus is within my fraternity, Delta Sigma Phi, where I serve as Vice President of External and Alumni Relations. That role has required me to represent our chapter to the broader community, manage relationships, navigate conflict, and speak on behalf of people who trust me to do so. It has been one of the most exhausting, yet formative leadership experiences in college. I have learned that effective advocacy means earning trust before you speak, and that the strength of any argument depends as much on the relationship behind it as the logic within it. My time as a counselor at Kanakuk Kamps deepened that understanding in a completely different way. Working with elementary-aged children around the clock, mentoring them, resolving their conflicts, keeping them safe, taught me that service is not always dramatic. Most of the time it is quiet, consistent, and unglamorous. It is showing up every day for someone who is counting on you. That lesson has stayed with me, and I believe it is one of the most important qualities a public servant can carry into a courtroom or a client meeting. Serving people even when you are not getting anything in return. I know in criminal defense or public prosectution, there are times when you will not be appreciated by your client for the work you are doing. I lived this out at camp after my freshman year, serving elementary aged children around the clock, who nearly all seem to have ADHD, while being paid barely $200 a week was not an easy task and frequently did not fill the desire we have to be appreciated for our work. However, I loved the experience and the reward of doing the unseen work and being a helping hand for those who need it will apply well to my career in public legal work. This summer, I will begin an internship in the Division of Victim Services at the Office of the Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach, a role I pursued specifically because it sits at the most human intersection of law and justice. Victims of crime need more than legal outcomes. They need someone who will listen, translate, and fight for them inside a system that can feel cold and indifferent. I want to be that person. I want to understand, from the inside, how the law serves the vulnerable and where it still falls short. Law school is how I close that gap. I am drawn to careers in public service such as prosecution, victim advocacy, or public interest law. All areas where the work is hard and the stakes are real. I believe access to justice is not a privilege; it is a foundation of a functioning democracy. My experiences have given me the empathy to understand what people need when they are most vulnerable, and the discipline to pursue the skills required to actually help them. I am ready to do that work.

I greatly admire the lens in which Margot Bogner viewed the practice of law. Her three core values: diligent communication, empathetic decision making and earning others trust, are practices I strive to emulate through my personal talents and experiences both as an aspiring attorney and in my daily life. I have learned through my experience with people, that the more vulnerable and open I am in communicating, the more others will open up and increase their trust in me. The fruit of an open interaction is an increase in understanding and in turn empathy. I admire that Margot upheld the same attributes in her practice of law. These are guiding qualities in the foundation for authentic relationships. I desire to become an attorney because I am passionate about advocating for others, especially those whose voices often go unheard. As a psychology and Spanish major, I continue to develop a deeper understanding of mental health and the importance of effective communication in my studies. I chose both majors because I believe this part of my background will bring a unique perspective to law school and my future practice. I look forward to using my bilingual skills and psychology background to serve diverse client populations. Developing a deep understanding and framework for how people feel is essential to being a trusted attorney. Being bilingual builds rapport and an increased understanding from the start of the relationship. I am particularly interested in serving underserved populations and desire to act with both skill and compassion in my future practice of law because everyone deserves integrity and care. In my household growing up, my family provided respite care for children in the foster care system. My interactions and experiences with the children that we cared for broadened my understanding of the difficulties these children face in ways I could have never otherwise understood. Empathy isn’t taught, it’s experienced. I remember the small bags the children would bring to our house, a handful of clothes, mismatched and looking worn. I remember the looks of utter disbelief when they would step into our pantry upon arrival. I remember my parents explaining to me that their parents weren’t in a spot to see their own kids. I remember crying in the car when the first girl who got to stay with us, just about my age, went back to another foster home. These are the kinds of moments that put it all into perspective. Custody, parental rights, and court decisions produce real impacts on children— impacts I have seen firsthand. Children deserve advocates who can communicate with them effectively, seek to understand them and are above all, trustworthy because every decision impacts a life. I want to be that advocate for these kids. I want to serve with both skill and compassion because this is what draws me to law. Using my bilingual skills and psychology background enables me to best serve my future clients. Like Margot, I believe that communication, empathy, and trust are not just admirable traits, but essential tools for meaningful and impactful work through law I am committed to pursuing.

Hustling from one activity to another is how I am hard-wired – until I couldn’t do it. During my sophomore year of college, my need for sleep and all-around lack of energy continued to increase. I lost interest in learning and social events, stressed about losing my job if I fell asleep, and found a host of bizarre places to catch some ZZZs. Eventually, it became a safety hazard when I could not drive for more than 15 minutes before dozing off, so it was time to look for answers. After multiple unsuccessful doctors’ appointments, at-home sleep studies, and a hospital stay back home in Kansas City, all of which required me to miss school and work, I was diagnosed with narcolepsy. I learned that narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that affects the brain's ability to control sleep-wake cycles. People with narcolepsy may feel rested after waking, but then feel very sleepy throughout much of the day. While I was relieved at the diagnosis, I was embarrassed at the same time. It was great to know that my struggles were believable and real. I also was able to finally get meds and receive counseling about how to live my life normally. However, I don’t like using it as an excuse. I want to be a normal 21-year-old person who has energy for days and “can sleep when you’re dead,” but that’s not possible for me. It’s not something that is curable...it is a lifelong issue. Yes, my medication helps, but it doesn’t fully “fix” the condition. It’s not in my control, and this is not something I could have prevented. For someone who likes structure and routine, it has been tough to battle with, physically and mentally. Children are commonly misdiagnosed with a learning disability because of their low-functioning nature, meaning that my high-functioning efforts as a student covered up my narcolepsy for years. I continued the same level of service I had been pursuing since the age of 11. In the fifth grade, I could be found hanging campaign posters for my elementary school’s presidential election. Although staying focused in class was tricky during my undergraduate career, I ensured my grades did not suffer. While my parents and brothers who reveled in taking pictures of me sleeping in wacky positions were shamed, I now have a cool fun fact to share in every new social setting when I’m asked, “What’s a fun fact about you?” Unbeknownst to me until I was diagnosed, narcolepsy is a recognized and protected disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act. I have been able to get assistance from my university related to my learning, and I no longer fear termination from work. The mental and physical relief of knowing that I have protection is something I do not take for granted. Having worked in human resources where policies and procedures are used for employees’ and the company’s protection, I understand how difficult it can be to know every law and caveat for any situation that comes up. Having an internship in Human Resources the summer after I was diagnosed helped me gain a deeper understanding of how policies and procedures are used for employees’ and companies’ protection. I also appreciate how laws help people who have conditions out of their control have rights that protect them. Given what I have learned about this complex issue and my personal connection to this topic, I want to be an advocate for those who do not have a voice or understand what can be done on their behalf. Now, and in the future, I plan to use my passion and skills to assist others. To achieve this goal, I plan to attend law school and attain the additional knowledge needed to be successful in my pursuits of helping others.