College of Staten Island 2012, English Writing

What cause or issue are you passionate about?
I'm passionate about Criminal Law, all aspects of the entire process seem incredibly fascinating to me.

Who or what motivates you? Where do you get it from?
I am motivated by a desire to learn as much as possible about as many things as possible, and to share that knowledge with others. I got this from my parents; my mother is an avid reader (though generally of trashy novels with Fabio on the cover) and my father loves reading books about History, especially World War II, and talking about it as much as he can. Mix the two together, and you get my desire to talk to people about Fabio. Wait, that came out wrong...

What song are you embarrassed to have on your iPod?
I am not embarrassed by any of the awesome songs on my iPod (What is Love and Never Gonna Give You Up are classics!) but I am embarrassed to say that I don't have Eddie Murphy's Party All the Time on it. Yet.

Who do you want to help with your law degree?
I want to help those that may not be able to have a voice otherwise. My particular interests run toward Criminal Law so that might end up being those who were wronged and helping them find justice or those who cannot afford a defense and have every right to a fair and honest trial.

If you were a Jedi, which one would you be?
Given the choice, I'd have to go with Boba Fett over any of the Jedi. Awesome suit, slick ride, and a defiant streak so intimidating even Vader respects that. "No disintegrations?" We'll see.

What's your talent?
I like to think my talent is for creative writing, with a little bit of the musical thrown in there as well. In my spare time, I love to write short fiction and poetry. I also enjoy writing songs on the guitar and the bass.

Journal Entry, July 8, 2012
Transitioning from college graduation into the PreProBono Fellowship can be quite a shock. To go from breaking free of being an undergraduate student and having all that freedom - and then trading that away for a summer studying the LSAT is daunting. However, in many ways it is a good shock, much like the defibrillator that wakes up a recently dead person. As they get to see and live again, so too does the Fellowship open your eyes to the inner workings and underlying patterns of the LSAT.

The group aspect of the Fellowship helps to alleviate the initial shock; you know that you aren't alone in taking on the LSAT, nor in pursuing public interest law. Within the first few sessions, we transitioned from strangers to friends to family without even realizing it. And together we help each other take on the test. How that happens may vary: whether through moral support, or helping to explain a type of problem you under better to another Fellow and vice versa, we all work together towards a common goal: doing well on the LSAT without going completely insane. We are able to break down the test in an academic setting without breaking down mentally ourselves.

The 7Sage curriculum we use is the best LSAT instruction I've seen. The Instructors are very personable and fun to hang out with, which we do weekly on Saturday nights, along with a series of guest speakers who illuminate aspects of public interest law and give us a glimpse into our future. The Fellowship also allows us to relax our strained minds with the group through fun extra-curricular excursions like kayaking (though anyone in my boat has my deepest apologies) and our upcoming retreat in the Adirondacks. Ultimately, this is the perfect way to tackle the LSAT, because it teaches the concepts in the best possible way while reminding you that you are not alone and that with a little help the future can look just like you and your new family of Fellows.

Leave a Reply