Hello everyone! I’m a 3L from Oklahoma and I’m excited and deeply honored to be an Academic Fellow this year. My current hobbies include making a perfect cup of tea, coloring books, the second season of Andor, and wondering why I feel so bad when I forget to drink water. My dislikes include Nashville drivers, textbook prices, and country music covers that fail to add a performer’s personal flair.

It’s an unfortunate truth that life doesn’t really stop for law school. In my first semester here, my father suffered a terrible stroke. It was unclear for weeks whether he would survive or what his recovery would look like. I was thinking about dropping out or taking a leave of absence, just as my law school experience started! I decided to stick with it for personal reasons, but it was not an easy choice and I felt totally unprepared to handle both my academics and my mental health. I was fortunate enough to receive a lot of support from professors, friends, Career Services, and various faculty at Vanderbilt Law and the University in general. I couldn’t have done it without them. I sincerely hope that everyone’s time in law school is one where they can devote themselves to their studies. But when that wasn’t the case for me, I can vouch that there are several resources in this community that helped me do the best I could and feel proud of what I could accomplish. I joined the Academic Fellows to give back to this community and support others who might face their own struggles in law school. There are people here who want to help you be your best.