I’m from St. Clair, Missouri, which has about 4,700 people. It’s similar to Fulton, Missouri with that small-town vibe. My whole family has gone through school there, and we have lived there for over 100 years. I had a politics class in high school that got me more interested in my current path. I liked keeping up with the news and what was going on in the world. I was very involved in high school, and played three sports: football, wrestling, and golf. I also participated in Scholar Bowl and Model UN. Model UN gave me a look into how politics and government work, although on a small, local scale. I applied to William Woods my senior year to enter the Honors program. I looked at almost all the Missouri schools as well as University of Kentucky. I liked that William Woods was close to home and that there were a lot of opportunities to get involved here like there was in high school. William Woods is a little bigger than my high school was, but its nice to attend a college that has a similar size and feel as my high school.
Being a Leader
One of the first things I joined at William Woods was Phi Gamma Delta, and I am actually the president of my fraternity now. I also got involved in Student Alumni Council, President’s Twenty and Dean’s Council. I really like being involved and being a leader on campus. I am also in Phi Alpha Delta (Pre-Law fraternity,) National Society for Leadership and Success, and Order of Omega. I chose to be involved in so much because that’s what I did in high school and because I always want to leave wherever I am better than I found it. I want to be a leader and be able to help others. My background with athletics helps me with teamwork and helping all of these organizations. Being able to balance school with involvement, and keep my professional goals in sight can be a challenge, but I enjoy it.
Future in Law
I declared my major in Legal Studies right away because I knew that was what I was interested in. I also picked up minors in Spanish and Sports Management. I am interested in Sports Law, so I thought those minors would help me get there. The William Woods Legal Studies program really sets me up to do any kind of law I want to do, but these minors help me specialize a little more. My education here at William Woods has allowed me to learn about politics on an international scale all the way to defending someone in public court.
Now that I am closer to graduating, where I will live has been on my mind. I could go anywhere with a law degree, but it would be nice to be close to home. Lawyers also travel a lot so I feel like I could make my home base near St. Clair and still be successful in my career.
I am preparing now for an internship in Washington D.C. with a telecommunications law firm. I met one of the lawyers from the firm through President’s Twenty, so my involvement on campus helped me with this opportunity. Telecommunications covers a lot of big issues like cellphone and internet regulations. I am excited to have this opportunity. It’s a very on-your-toes type of environment because this industry is very tied to politics and the changes in leadership.
Balancing Class and Life
I am in a Sports Law class right now and having the Sports Management and Pre-Law background really prepared me to present case studies in that class. The Sports Law class is offered under the Sports Management minor. It’s really relevant to what I want to do and what I am studying. It covers everything from constitutional rights that effect athletes down to Title IV. It helps me understand how the courts work and how that effects athletes and administrators.
I usually wake up a little bit before my first class of the day, get ready and go. I like to lay out each thing I have to do each day, so if I have organizations to help with or meetings, I have them written out in a planner. I also have a to-do list in my phone. I like to stay at least a day or two ahead on homework. There will be days where I get a lot of homework and organization work done, just by sitting down and grinding things out. In between my classes I try to take time to relax, whether that’s videogames, Netflix or a nap. I also work at Tanglewoods Golf Course. Being organized is essential to getting everything done that I need to. I stay fairly busy, but I enjoy it and have my own method of doing things.
Becoming an Adult
My classes and my peers have taught me a lot and prepared me for my professional career. I feel like I learned a lot of things I did not know compared to what I learned in high school. William Woods pushed me and made me learn, and sharpened me academically and professionally. Socially, having a small campus and being involved has been great. My fraternity has really been a very positive experience as well, as it’s been nice to be surrounded with people with whom you have a strong bond who are in the same phase of life as you. Once you get to college, it’s a really big transition and you learn to begin how to be an adult and be more responsible. You learn to be your own person in college, which I have done at William Woods.