Law, a word defined by the Cambridge dictionary as, “a rule, usually made by a government, that is used to order the way in which a society behaves.” While the law as a whole provides guidelines for the structure of our society, it is much broader in scope than the above narrow definition. Throughout my time in the legal profession, I have witnessed how law can impact the daily lives of everyday people, the structure of a corporation, and the fabric of our society. While it is often depicted as the pursuit of right versus wrong, the legal field represents a much broader scope of the fabric of our society. My love affair with government and the legal field first began in elementary school when I watched the iconic film Legally Blonde. As cliche as that may sound, seeing a figure on the screen who I identified with was empowering. I found the character Elle Woods’ sense of purpose and determination inspiring. Fast forward several years and my love for public affairs and the law had only grown. I vividly recall sitting in my first law related course my senior year of high school and envisioning what it would be like to be an attorney. The dream of becoming an attorney became my beacon of hope during the difficult years to follow. During my attendance at Florida State University for my Bachelor’s degree, I experienced several events that fueled my determination to become an attorney. I credit the experience of navigating the Title IX division as a driving force in my desire to pursue a legal career. The legal system is not perfect because it is designed by man and man is inherently flawed. While this fact may discourage some, I believe that the law serves as a reflection of our conscious values as a society. Through time our values as a society have changed to fit the needs and desires of the community and I firmly believe that the legal system serves as a historical reflection of these values. As a country founded under the belief that all man has the right to, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” I believe that is our duty to uphold these rights. If given the opportunity to attend your university, I vow to serve as an upstanding member of the Stetson Law community, embodying the motto of Pro Deo et Veritate (For God and Truth). Through my personal experience with Stetson Law alumni and professors, I have experienced what it is like to be part of an esteemed community who is passionate about the law. I hope to rejoin this community in pursuit of my Juris Doctorate in the part-time Juris Doctorate program. I cannot begin to express my personal gratitude for the professors and staff who have supported me in my journey to earning my Juris Doctorate from Stetson Law. Dean Bent, specifically, was incredibly supportive in my journey at Stetson Law in 2021 when I ultimately had to pause my education at Stetson Law due to ongoing family medical issues. At this time, I feel confident in my ability to dedicate my time to the pursuit of my legal education. I hope to join your esteemed university and look forward to becoming a potential Stetson Law Alum.

Success is an elusive concept. What one may consider success another may consider mediocre. When defining success, I like to envision my greater purpose. I have always been drawn to public service and have considered my success a pivotal part of my academic journey. In order to help my community, I feel that it is important for me to achieve academic success in the form of earning my Juris Doctorate Degree. Academia has played an important role in my life and journey to achieve "success". I have a genuine desire to learn both in and outside the classroom. This desire to expand my understanding of the world has propelled me to perform at a high academic level. At a young age, I often equated success to academic achievement. The correlation between academic achievement and success is often introduced in our society at a very young age. When one pictures a D student they often assume the child is a "class clown" or "bully". Very rarely are positive attributes associated with low academic performance. As I got older, I started to distance myself from the belief that academic achievement was the only avenue to a successful life and career. I found that there is a difference between being "book smart" and "street smart". Some people are handed different circumstances in life that are beyond their control that help shape their journey to success. In essence, success is not a one path fits all. The road to success is bumpy, paved with twists and turns that shape our character. Personally, I think the most defining mark of success is happiness. Happiness is not inherent, happiness has to be created within one's self. While I still value academic achievement, I also try to focus on the things that bring me joy in my life such as service to my community. I have found that academia and service can often go hand in hand. For example, I am pursuing my Juris Doctorate Degree in order to serve my community. My desire is to become an advocate for victims of human trafficking. In order to be an effective advocate, I must educate myself on the laws and policies in place to deter and punish perpetrators of human trafficking and the legal rights of their victims. The Redefining Victory Scholarship would greatly help me in my academic journey by reducing my student loan debt. Reducing my debt would open up more opportunities to pursue pro bono work that I currently cannot due to financial limitations. In an effort to reduce my student loan debt, I work full-time as a paralegal and attend law school part-time, enrolling in night classes. My full-time job allows me the opportunity to make small payments on my student loans before interest accrues after graduation. While I am grateful for my job, my salary does not afford me the luxury to pay my tuition in full. I will likely graduate law school with over 100K in student loan debt. Receiving this scholarship would reduce the stress of pending student loan debt and allow me the ability to pursue avenues of advocacy that have otherwise been limited due to financial strain.

The dream version of myself is an accomplished attorney who is active in the community and has been an integral part of implementing advancements in policy to end human trafficking.

Law, a word defined by the Cambridge dictionary as, “a rule, usually made by a government, that is used to order the way in which a society behaves.” While the law as a whole provides guidelines for the structure of our society, it is much broader in scope than the above narrow definition. Throughout my time in the legal profession, I have witnessed how law can impact the daily lives of everyday people, the structure of a corporation, and the fabric of our society. While it is often depicted as the pursuit of right versus wrong, the legal field represents a much broader scope of the fabric of our society. My love affair with government and the legal field first began in elementary school when I watched the iconic film Legally Blonde. As cliche as that may sound, seeing a figure on the screen who I identified with was empowering. I found the character Elle Woods’ sense of purpose and determination inspiring. Fast forward several years and my love for public affairs and the law had only grown. I vividly recall sitting in my first law related course my senior year of high school and envisioning what it would be like to be an attorney. The dream of becoming an attorney became my beacon of hope during the difficult years to follow. During my attendance at Florida State University for my Bachelor’s degree, I experienced several events that fueled my determination to become an attorney. I credit the experience of navigating the Title IX division as a driving force in my desire to pursue a legal career. The legal system is not perfect because it is designed by man and man is inherently flawed. While this fact may discourage some, I believe that the law serves as a reflection of our conscious values as a society. Through time our values as a society have changed to fit the needs and desires of the community and I firmly believe that the legal system serves as a historical reflection of these values. As a country founded under the belief that all man has the right to, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” I believe that is our duty to uphold these rights. If given the opportunity to attend your university, I vow to serve as an upstanding member of the Stetson Law community, embodying the motto of Pro Deo et Veritate (For God and Truth). Through my personal experience with Stetson Law alumni and professors, I have experienced what it is like to be part of an esteemed community who is passionate about the law. I hope to rejoin this community in pursuit of my Juris Doctorate in the part-time Juris Doctorate program. I cannot begin to express my personal gratitude for the professors and staff who have supported me in my journey to earning my Juris Doctorate from Stetson Law. Dean Bent, specifically, was incredibly supportive in my journey at Stetson Law in 2021 when I ultimately had to pause my education at Stetson Law due to ongoing family medical issues. At this time, I feel confident in my ability to dedicate my time to the pursuit of my legal education. I hope to join your esteemed university and look forward to becoming a potential Stetson Law Alum.

Mental health is a well-ignored facet of life. Society often prioritizes physical health over mental health because it is easier to sympathize with what one can see than what we can not see. As I have grown older, I have learned that mental health is a driving force in wholebody wellness. Having personally experienced anxiety and depression, I can attest that one’s mental state can deeply affect their physical state; for example, anxiety has caused me to experience loss of appetite, insomnia and extreme fatigue. Upon realizing the effects my mental health can have in every area of my life, I began to treat my mental state like I would a physical injury. When you are injured, you are instructed to rest and prioritize your well-being for recovery, however, when you feel anxious or depressed, society often encourages productivity over your mental well-being. To combat burnout, I have learned to treat my mental health in the same manner I treat my physical health. Prioritizing rest and mental exercises such as journaling and meditation help me process my emotions so that I can identify the root causes of my anxiety or depression. It is important for me to be connected with my environment on a deeper level. Grounding myself in nature has been an amazing tool to help me reconnect with the world around me and not the world I have created in my own head. It is easy to become jaded and disconnected with the world around you; taking time to pause and experience my environment helps me to regulate my thoughts and actions. Nature is healing. In addition to reconnecting with nature, I find movement to be healing. Not only is exercise good for your physical health but it is amazing for your mental health as well. Exercise helps regulate your body's nervous system aiding in the completion of the stress response cycle. Today, stress does not often present like a physical threat as it would have in the Neanderthal era. Movement helps release the thoughts and hormones that are secreted in the stress response cycle helping to complete the fight or flight response. In times of stress, exercise allows me to focus on myself and reconnect with my body providing an outlet for physical expression Prioritizing mental health is not a skill I was inherently born with, however, I have learned tools that have helped in the further development of my emotional intelligence. It is important for me to treat my mind, body and spirit to unlock the best version of myself and being cognizant of my mental state is a key component of my overall well-being.