-: I think part of the reason that I was accepted
and received a scholarship was because of my
work experience and also just the variety of experiences
that I'd had.
Educationally, I've done well, and as I said,
I've earned a couple of master's degrees,
but I think more than that, it was the life experience
that I gained living overseas and living in Canada,
living in other places, and the jobs that I've had.
So getting into law school, I think,
one thing that a student can do,
even if they're a nontraditional student like myself,
is gather up those life experiences.
Nothing that I've done has been a waste.
It's all kind of led me to that place.
So I studied criminology, criminal justice and sociology.
I don't know how valuable that is directly related
to the law, but frankly, there are students in my class,
one of my best friends, who I think is fifth or sixth
in our class, she was a culinary student
before she went to law school.
She was a baker for a number of years
before she decided to go to law school.
So, you know, law school is about thinking analytically.
Law school is about critical thinking
and considering sort of every side of an argument.
I think there are a lot of disciplines
and a lot of undergraduate disciplines
that can lead to that type of thinking.
I think that the mantra when I was at Ball State
was, "We teach you how to think."
So I think that's true, and I believe that that's really
all that it takes to be successful.
I think that internships are amazingly valuable.
I think that getting that practical hands-on experience
while you're earning your degree is incredibly important,
and a lot of places will hire people without degrees
to do jobs maybe in the office, so maybe during
the summertime, you work in a clerical position
in the department.
It still gives you a good glimpse at at the system.
But I think that those experiential learning opportunities
that I know Ball State provides are really important.