On a July morning in 2017, I awoke to helicopters hovering above my friend’s house, where I had stayed the night. We watched from the driveway in disbelief as the police searched the neighbor’s home, having arrested him for murder. The faces of four missing boys, just a few years older than I was at the time, had flooded the news for days by this point. The boys’ bodies were recovered on Cosmo DiNardo’s family farm, and he confessed to their murders. His accomplice, Sean Kratz, was also arrested and eventually convicted for his crimes. Both DiNardo and Kratz are currently serving life sentences. This case engrossed my community as we followed the headlines. The local news eventually moved on, along with the rest of my town, but the DiNardo murders continued to haunt me. I was immersed in it. By this time, I was already on my high school’s mock trial team. My decision to join mock trial was easy—I didn’t play a sport or an instrument; I didn’t have an artistic bone in my body. I was shy. I wanted to meet new people. I wanted to be a part of something. So, I tried out for the mock trial team. One of my mock trial attorney coaches was a Bucks County Assistant DA; it was only after working with an attorney that I first considered the possibility of going to law school. She represented a positive image of the law and was a powerful female role model to my high school self. My coach also happened to prosecute Sean Kratz. After such a horrific crime, she helped to heal the community through law. Her confidence, her dedication to the community, her success—she embodied everything I hoped I would see in myself someday. While my gravitation towards law began with a criminal case, my work experiences further cemented my interest in the field, opening my eyes to other possibilities that a legal education will allow me to pursue. Working for a family attorney granted me hands-on experience with divorce and custody cases, specifically Special Immigrant Juvenile cases. My job as a paraeducator aiding middle school students with multiple disabilities introduced me to special education law, and the ways in which attorneys advocate for both students and families, and teachers/school districts. My decision to pursue a legal education was not the result of some defining moment or epiphany, but rather a culmination of my experiences. I have seen the impact of major crime within my own community, and the ways we can use law to cope with crisis. The presence of a strong female attorney with a commitment to the community and the law helped me to realize my own goals. Whether prosecuting criminal cases or advocating on behalf of students with special needs, I plan to use my legal education to create positive change within the community and empower other women to do the same.

On a July morning in 2017, I awoke to helicopters hovering above my friend’s house, where I had stayed the night. We watched from the driveway in disbelief as the police searched the neighbor’s home, having arrested him for murder. The faces of four missing boys, just a few years older than I was at the time, had flooded the news for days by this point. The boys’ bodies were recovered on Cosmo DiNardo’s family farm, and he confessed to their murders. His accomplice, Sean Kratz, was also arrested and eventually convicted for his crimes. Both DiNardo and Kratz are currently serving life sentences. This case engrossed my community as we followed the headlines. The local news eventually moved on, along with the rest of my town, but the DiNardo murders continued to haunt me. I was immersed in it. By this time, I was already on my high school’s mock trial team. My decision to join mock trial was easy—I didn’t play a sport or an instrument; I didn’t have an artistic bone in my body. I was shy. I wanted to meet new people. I wanted to be a part of something. So, I tried out for the mock trial team. One of my mock trial attorney coaches was Bucks County Assistant DA Mary Kate Kohler; it was only after working with Ms. Kohler that I first considered the possibility of going to law school. She represented a positive image of the law and was a powerful female role model to my high school self. Ms. Kohler also happened to prosecute Sean Kratz. After such a horrific crime, she helped to heal the community through law. Her confidence, her dedication to the community, her success—she embodied everything I hoped I would see in myself someday. I quickly rose from my role as a back-up witness to team captain. I honed my skills writing direct and cross examinations. I shined in the courtroom controlling witnesses and arguing closing statements to a jury. I carried this love with me throughout college, where I started Muhlenberg College’s mock trial team. During the first month of my freshman year, I met with a professor who was interested in serving as the faculty advisor for mock trial. From there, I recruited friends and other students to join the team, most of whom had little to no experience with mock trial. We found a local attorney willing to coach us, and, after months of training, attended competitions against schools from across the country. While my gravitation towards law began with a criminal case, my work experiences further cemented my interest in the field, opening my eyes to other possibilities that a legal education will allow me to pursue. Working for a family attorney granted me hands-on experience with divorce and custody cases, specifically Special Immigrant Juvenile cases. My job as a paraeducator aiding middle school students with multiple disabilities introduced me to special education law, and the ways in which attorneys advocate for both students and families, and teachers/school districts. My decision to apply to law school is not the result of some defining moment or epiphany, but rather a culmination of my experiences. I have seen the impact of major crime within my own community, and the ways we can use law to cope with crisis. The presence of a strong female attorney with a commitment to the community and the law helped me to realize my own goals. Whether prosecuting criminal cases or advocating on behalf of students with special needs, I hope to make positive change within the community through my legal education and practice.

On a July morning in 2017, I awoke to helicopters hovering above my friend’s house, where I had stayed the night. We watched from the driveway in disbelief as the police searched the neighbor’s home, having arrested him for murder. The faces of four missing boys, just a few years older than I was at the time, had flooded the news for days by this point. The boys’ bodies were recovered on Cosmo DiNardo’s family farm, and he confessed to their murders. His accomplice, Sean Kratz, was also arrested and eventually convicted for his crimes. Both DiNardo and Kratz are currently serving life sentences. This case engrossed my community as we followed the headlines. The local news eventually moved on, along with the rest of my town, but the DiNardo murders continued to haunt me. I was immersed in it. By this time, I was already on my high school’s mock trial team. My decision to join mock trial was easy—I didn’t play a sport or an instrument; I didn’t have an artistic bone in my body. I was shy. I wanted to meet new people. I wanted to be a part of something. So, I tried out for the mock trial team. One of my mock trial attorney coaches was a Bucks County Assistant DA; it was only after working with an attorney that I first considered the possibility of going to law school. She represented a positive image of the law and was a powerful female role model to my high school self. My coach also happened to prosecute Sean Kratz. After such a horrific crime, she helped to heal the community through law. Her confidence, her dedication to the community, her success—she embodied everything I hoped I would see in myself someday. While my gravitation towards law began with a criminal case, my work experiences further cemented my interest in the field, opening my eyes to other possibilities that a legal education will allow me to pursue. Working for a family attorney granted me hands-on experience with divorce and custody cases, specifically Special Immigrant Juvenile cases. My job as a paraeducator aiding middle school students with multiple disabilities introduced me to special education law, and the ways in which attorneys advocate for both students and families, and teachers/school districts. My decision to pursue a legal education was not the result of some defining moment or epiphany, but rather a culmination of my experiences. I have seen the impact of major crime within my own community, and the ways we can use law to cope with crisis. The presence of a strong female attorney with a commitment to the community and the law helped me to realize my own goals. Whether prosecuting criminal cases or advocating on behalf of students with special needs, a legal education is essential for creating positive change within the community.