Shullman Legal Scholarship

When I was five years old, I declared to my family, “I want to be a neurosurgeon!” At the time I didn’t fully recognize what being a neurosurgeon entailed. I just knew it was a person whose job is to fix the brain. I liked the sound of being able to fix something, especially something as abstract as the brain. But as I got older and began experiencing the world around me, I noticed fractures in the systems that I knew. Whether it was seeing someone at the corner store push past an elderly woman clearly struggling to carry her groceries—woefully unaware they might experience that same helplessness. Or driving past homeless people pushing carts across the road, knowing I should help, but only offering pity instead. As I continued to grow I became less concerned about the systems of the body, but more invested in the systems that govern everyday life. There are so many injustices in this world, tragedies that happen day in and day out that make people assume the worst in humanity and in themselves. We have become a society based on suspicion, afraid of those who look or speak differently than we do. The reason I want to have a career in law is to remind people of the simple values that make up our society: respect, empathy, love. I believe the little things carry the most weight. So, if I can make someone's life a little bit easier by challenging inequality through the law, then I will. For it is my belief that the law is how we govern a society and morals are how we govern each other. My goal is to bring morality back to the law and rebuild public trust in it. I have chosen to devote my life to this mission and have put myself in a position to grow and learn from others so that I can fight these inequities effectively and without being deterred. As President of my Model UN team, I lead dynamic debates on global issues and craft resolutions that compel us to explore nuances and truly consider opposing perspectives. As President of the Human Relations Council, I work to ensure that every student feels respected and safe. This has taught me more about the value of empathy and the importance of authenticity in leadership. Breaking barriers has only strengthened my passion. I am currently the first African-American Student Government President at my school. This has given me a boldness, because it proves that anything is possible. I strive to represent my fellow students' interests and to never back down in the face of adversity. I do these things not for prestige but for the impact I am able to make. I understand the power of a single action and the difference that it can make. My passion for a career in law can be summed up in one word: Impact. I want to influence the world around me by restoring both morality and trust in our systems of governance and in one another.