I grew up not really knowing what I wanted to do. When high school counselors would ask me what I wanted to do, I never really knew what to say. College seemed a long way off, and I wasn’t concerned about what I would study or even where I would go to school. My mother had attended UVU to get her teaching degree, so I knew a little about the school. I ended up deciding to come to UVU because I received the Presidential Scholarship, which covered all my tuition costs.

Though I began studying at UVU, I was still completely unaware as to what I wanted to study. In my first semester I wasn’t very focused on my education. This all changed, however, when I went back to Washington, D.C., to visit a few members of my family. Walking around the capital, my first thought was that I wanted to work there and be a part of everything that was happening. That was the first moment that I knew I wanted to go to law school. Though I had never considered law school before, everything just seemed to click into place. I had been fascinated by history, the Constitution, and the framers since I was young, but I hadn’t considered that I could make a career out of studying these topics. Working as a lawyer would allow me to study topics that were useful, interesting to me, and would allow me to make a decent living. I would be able to explore my interests and make a career out of those interests. Plus, an additional bonus to pursuing my law degree is that it brought my wife and me closer together. She had taken the LSAT around the same time I was preparing to take it. We were also both enrolled in constitutional law classes. We bonded over studying law together.

When I got back from my trip to Washington, I met with the pre-law advisor at UVU who encouraged me to enroll in the financial planning program and work toward a minor in constitutional studies. I took my first class in U.S. constitutional law from Dr. Rick Griffin. This quickly became one of the few classes I cared about. It was an extremely difficult class, and I was surrounded by juniors or seniors that I thought were operating far above me. I was unsure as to whether or not I had the skills to get into law school or succeed once I began my studies. When the first midterm came around, however, Dr. Griffin put the highest score on the board, and I realized that it was my score. At that moment, I realized that I could be on the same level as these other students, even if I wasn’t as articulate as them.

I worked hard and became quite successful in my classes for the constitutional studies minor. Throughout this process, I met often with Dr. Griffin, who became a key figure in mentoring me and helping me through the process of gaining entrance into a law school. He consistently provided me with feedback and encouragement that helped me to keep working hard to excel in school. He was one of the turning points for my education. Throughout my courses at UVU, I felt I developed technical skills through my financial planning degree and developed writing and reading skills through my minor in constitutional studies. Though there wasn’t much reasoning behind why I came to UVU, I left with the best of expectations and critical-thinking skills. I had never considered graduate school, yet in my senior year I found myself applying for law school.

Throughout my time at UVU, I saw a transformation in myself from someone interested in learning into someone who analyzes, actually learns, and critically thinks about problems. UVU gave me the skills that I needed to succeed in law school. The minor in constitutional studies gave me a baseline of skills that gave me an edge in my first semester at law school. I am now enrolled in the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah. In my first semester, I maintained a 4.0 GPA and was ranked as the top student in my class. I am interviewing with seven different firms for a summer internship this semester. Going to law school has opened up a lot of doors in business, government, and academia. I firmly believe that UVU was critical in my success in my first semester of law school. My classes gave me the skills and abilities I needed to succeed, as well as expanded my vision as to what I can accomplish. No matter who you are, there’s a place for you at UVU!