Student Snapshot
Education Johnson & Wales University, BS in International Business. At BC Law Public Service Scholar, research assistant. Dream Job as a Child Airplane pilot. Least Favorite Word “Sniveling.” Desert Island Book The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander. Most Prized Possession My dog. Favorite Time of Day Sunset. Greatest Baking Achievement Graham-crusted basil key lime pie topped with strawberry caviar.
I can’t say that as a child I was aware of how the instability of poverty was actively shaping my worldview. What I did know was that in every new place there was a community of people that were deeply invested in me. Teachers, my mom’s friends, coaches, and our neighbors all kept me focused on making choices that would have a positive impact on my future. This plays a huge part in my motivation to ensure our public systems are as compassionate and supportive as individuals in my life were to me.
What I learned while living in a shelter was that people’s unhoused status is a moment in time, preceded by stories as varied as the people themselves. Stories of love, sickness, adventure, failure, ambition, grief; things that anyone can relate to. It’s just that these stories collided with barriers they were unable to overcome to remain housed. Our public systems should provide people with the unconditional support they need to overcome those barriers and stay housed rather than prescribing conditional support after the fact.
I previously worked in public policy development for the City of Providence, RI, as it was taking the first steps toward implementing a municipal reparations program to address inequality and discrimination. One contribution I made was to include in the Reparations Commission report solutions developed by communities to address the criminal legal system’s role in perpetuating the racial wealth gap.
My favorite part of attending BC Law is being in community with incredible people [who] give each other grace to be wrong or unsure or work through where they stand on an issue. Some of that comes from my classmates’ innate traits, but it also comes from the faculty and staff, who emulate the same grace.
My Public Service Scholarship is enabling me to be the bravest and most curious scholar I can be. I’m able to pursue opportunities that are pushing me to think creatively about using the law to support practices of care in place of systems of punishment.