Inclusivity is contingent upon accessibility. If there is no access for individuals who have historically been underrepresented or marginalized in certain spaces, then inclusion cannot prevail. For this reason, I have made an effort to not allow my occupancy of certain spaces to merely be for my own benefit. As a Black woman, I understand the underrepresentation of Black women in many spaces, so while I occupy a seat, I aim to recruit and influence policy that garners more people from these demographics to enter and participate in the arena they have been left out of for far too long. I will create a more inclusive world by not being content with being the only one. I will not find comfort in being the only Black woman as I am aware that there are many qualified Black women who can fulfill the role. To me, creating a more inclusive world requires dismantling the roadblocks that perpetuate a cycle of excluding particular groups from the discourse and limiting access to these spaces to a certain demographic. In my studies, I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science with the hopes of going to law school, so I have been actively tackling the conversation of diversifying law schools and the legal profession. In my political science courses, we have been covering how laws and policies from the founding of the United States that still exist today or have remnants in the legal landscape uphold beliefs and narratives projecting the message that exclusionary practices are acceptable. With my knowledge of this reality, I set out to inform others and formulate strategic plans to disrupt and dismantle the system. Given how deeply entrenched exclusionary practices are into the legal landscape, it is likely that I may not live to see a total reversal; however, I am confident that my efforts will lead to increased conversations regarding inclusion, which, in turn, leads to deliberations for the purposes of meeting the demands of the collective. The passion I have for this line of work stems from seeing a lack of representation in the legal profession. I understand that laws are in place to protect, serve, and guide every citizen however the individuals crafting, drafting, and enforcing the laws are not reflective of the individuals who are mostly impacted by those laws. Through my studies, I learned that the legal profession's lack of inclusion is not because a certain demographic is only entering the field, rather, the reason is linked to barriers of accessing test preparation, law schools, and law shifting positions for marginalized groups. For this reason, I plan to use my education as a means to create a solution to this long standing issue. I will do so by being an active voice in my community on the dangers of a non-inclusive and non-accessible legal field. Each day I live I vow to push for a more inclusive legal field as laws affect every facet of one’s life.

From a very young age, I knew I had a passion for law. Every day after school, after completion of my homework assignments, I rushed into my bedroom and turned on the television to NBC where all the law-related shows premiered. I became intrigued with the profession of an attorney and wanted my sign-up sheet right then and there. As I grew older, I began to understand that what I was receiving on television was not the entire package on what it means to be an attorney. I shifted from relying solely on the television version of the position of an attorney, to researching and studying the requirements of that position. High school is where I took the initiative to actively participate in activities that could prepare me for a future career in the field of law. In my sophomore year, I became a member of my school’s Speech & Debate team which helped alleviate my fear of public speaking. Being on the Speech & Debate team also helped me become a more confident speaker during discussions and presentations. In my last two years of high school, I was a member of my school’s Moot Court team, which allowed me to compete with teams around the world both virtually and at different universities on the sole basis of deciphering the constitutionality of various statues. Being a part of my school’s Moot Court team solidified my desire to become a future attorney. As a career goal, I hope to one day become an attorney with a primary focus in intellectual property. As an intellectual property attorney, my number one duty is to help my clients secure ownership and asset protection over the products they create. My other responsibilities include maintaining reputable attorney credentials, understanding the law, applying the law, and executing the law. In order to make my dream career a reality, I must continue down the path that I have set forth. I have to continue going above and beyond in my studies. I have to continue having an unwavering work ethic. I have to continue trusting God. I have to continue networking with individuals in the field I want to enter. I have to continue believing that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to. Once I have achieved my career goal, I see my life changing for the better socially, financially, and spiritually. I see myself prospering and those around me inspired to pursue their own endeavors. Achieving this goal is important to me because I recognize the importance of a Black voice in the legal profession and more specifically, a Black woman’s voice in the profession. My career choice has been inspired by the societal structure that stifles Black agency by means of the law. I want to advocate on behalf of the individuals that are overrepresented and underprotected. In doing so, I hope to inspire future Black attorneys, as they will be able to see me and believe achieving is possible for them as well. I not only want to inspire future Black attorneys but individuals from all walks of life to follow their heart’s passion. This is important to me because accolades and achievements mean nothing if they are only self-serving. I want the individuals around me to succeed just as much as I succeed, so we may extend our hands for others to join in the success.

In July 2014, my family was disclosed with news that would change our lives forever. My mother was diagnosed with a desmoid tumor. The tumor protruded on the left side of her chest where it wrapped around her ribs and sat on the pectoral muscles and nerves beside her heart. My mother’s condition forced her to sell the home we lived in. We had to move in with my grandparents so that my mother could be looked after during her treatment. With my mom being a single parent and the backbone for both the immediate and extended family, this news was heart-wrenching. The woman who supported everybody was now in need of support. The financial struggles were present before, but with my mother’s diagnosis, the finances became even more difficult to maintain. Being quite young at the time of my mother’s diagnosis, I could not understand all the details, but I did understand that my life would be different. I could see the desmoid tumor making my mother weaker and weaker. I remember vividly praying night after night that my life would return to normal. I wanted to be back in our home on the other side of town with my mother in great health and spirits as I had always known her to be. With little to no influence to better my mother’s health and financial situation, I worked toward what I could control, my academics. I began to delve deep into my studies earning me local, state, and national recognition for high achievement. I aimed to go above and beyond academically because I wanted my mother to be inspired during this major life shift. I wanted her to know that although life may appear to be rocky her daughter was excelling in school and that is something to be joyous about. My endeavor of excelling academically initially began as a means to lessen the pain of the news my mother would receive from her doctor alerting her about her enlarging tumor. To my surprise, an act for my mother revealed to me what I could see myself doing for a lifetime. I discovered that I am passionate about writing, drafting arguments, and presenting arguments. With engagement in conversation with many different individuals, I found a career in the legal profession to be a dream I aim to work at to become a reality. This point in my life taught me that struggle is inevitable, but strength is obtainable as long as one’s focus is not merely on the thing or situation that is creating difficulty and pain. I applaud the challenges for shaping me into the young woman I am today. My mother who was supposed to be dead years ago is living and thriving. The desmoid tumor that was set to be her cause of death is now no longer detectable. Although life continues to be difficult, I refuse to allow my challenges to be all that I am. I am aware that entering law school and the legal profession will present its challenges. I must not run away from challenges but welcome them warm-heartedly and perform my legal duty of persevering through the hardships. I am confident that I have the will power to persevere in law school and life because I am familiar with working under constraints and prospering despite the circumstances.

Inclusivity is contingent upon accessibility. If there is no access for individuals who have historically been underrepresented or marginalized in certain spaces, then inclusion cannot prevail. For this reason, I have made an effort to not allow my occupancy of certain spaces to merely be for my own benefit. As a Black woman, I understand the underrepresentation of women and Blacks in many spaces, so while I occupy a seat, I aim to recruit and influence policy that garners more people from these demographics to enter and participate in the arena they have been left out of for far too long. I will create a more inclusive world by not being content with being the only one. I will not find comfort in being the only woman or Black person as I am aware that there many qualified women and Black people who can fulfill the role. To me, creating a more inclusive world requires dismantling the roadblocks that perpetuate a cycle of excluding particular groups from the discourse and limiting access to these spaces to a certain demographic. In my studies, I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science with the hopes of going to law school, so I have been actively tackling the conversation of diversifying law schools and the legal profession. In my political science courses, we have been covering how laws and policies from the founding of the United States that still exist today or have remnants in the legal landscape uphold beliefs and narratives projecting the message that exclusionary practices are acceptable. With my knowledge of this reality, I set out to inform others and formulate strategic plans to disrupt and dismantle the system. Given how deeply entrenched exclusionary practices are into the legal landscape, it is likely that I may not live to see a total reversal; however, I am confident that my efforts will lead to increased conversations regarding inclusion, which, in turn, leads to deliberations for the purposes of meeting the demands of the collective. The passion I have for this line of work stems from seeing a lack of representation in the legal profession. I understand that laws are in place to protect, serve, and guide every citizen however the individuals crafting, drafting, and enforcing the laws are not reflective of the individuals who are mostly impacted by those laws. Through my studies, I learned that the legal profession's lack of inclusion is not because a certain demographic is only entering the field, rather, the reason is linked to barriers of accessing test preparation, law schools, and law shifting positions for marginalized groups. For this reason, I plan to use my education as a means to create a solution to this long standing issue. I will do so by being an active voice in my community on the dangers of a non-inclusive and non-accessible legal field. I do not only want to use my voice but my ability to organize and execute. I would like to create a pipeline program for underrepresented individuals in the legal profession that provides them with resources to apply to law school, succeed in law school, and thrive in the legal field. Over time this pipeline program will aid in bridging the gap as underrepresented groups in the legal field will begin to occupy more spaces in turn leading to more equity and justice. Having a more inclusive legal field will open doors for more spaces to be inclusive. Each day I live I vow to push for a more inclusive legal field as laws affect every facet of one’s life. This requires individuals in positions of power to advocate on one’s behalf but that is impossible if there is no one there to share one’s reality.

From a very young age, I have had a passion for law. Every day after school, after the completion of my homework assignments, I rushed into my bedroom and turned on the television to NBC where all the law-related shows premiered. I became intrigued with the profession of attorneys and wanted my sign-up sheet right then and there. As I grew older, I began to understand that what I was receiving on television was not the entire package of what it means to be an attorney. I shifted from relying solely on the television version of the profession of an attorney to researching and studying the requirements of that position. High school is where I took the initiative to actively participate in activities that could prepare me for a future career in the field of law. In my sophomore year, I became a member of my school’s Speech & Debate team, which helped alleviate my fear of public speaking. Being on the Speech & Debate team also helped me become a more confident speaker during discussions and presentations. In my last two years of high school, I was a member of my school’s Moot Court team, which allowed me to compete with teams around the world both virtually and at different universities on the sole basis of deciphering the constitutionality of various statutes. Being a part of my school’s Moot Court team solidified my desire to become a future attorney. In my studies, I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in political science with the hopes of going to law school, so I have been actively tackling the conversation of diversifying law schools and the legal profession. In my political science courses, we have been covering how laws and policies from the founding of the United States that still exist today or have remnants in the legal landscape uphold beliefs and narratives projecting the message that exclusionary practices are acceptable. With my knowledge of this reality, I set out to inform others and formulate strategic plans to disrupt and dismantle the system. Given how deeply entrenched exclusionary practices are into the legal landscape, it is likely that I may not live to see a total reversal; however, I am confident that my efforts will lead to increased conversations regarding inclusion, which, in turn, leads to deliberations for the purposes of meeting the demands of the collective. The passion I have for this line of work stems from seeing a lack of representation in the legal profession. I understand that laws are in place to protect, serve, and guide every citizen however the individuals crafting, drafting, and enforcing the laws are not reflective of the individuals who are mostly impacted by those laws. Through my studies, I learned that the legal profession's lack of inclusion is not because a certain demographic is only entering the field, rather, the reason is linked to barriers of accessing test preparation, law schools, and law shifting positions for marginalized groups. For this reason, I plan to use my education as a means to create a solution to this long standing issue. I will do so by being an active voice in my community on the dangers of a non-inclusive and non-accessible legal field. I do not only want to use my voice but my ability to organize and execute. I would like to create a pipeline program for underrepresented individuals in the legal profession that provides them with resources to apply to law school, succeed in law school, and thrive in the legal field. Over time this pipeline program will aid in bridging the gap as underrepresented groups in the legal field will begin to occupy more spaces in turn leading to more equity and justice. Having a more inclusive legal field will open doors for more spaces to be inclusive. Each day I live I vow to push for a more inclusive legal field as laws affect every facet of one’s life. This requires individuals in positions of power to advocate on one’s behalf but that is impossible if there is no one there to share one’s reality.