I chose the Paralegal certificate because after my experience as a Political Science minor and looking toward what I wanted to do with my life after my communication degree – plus having close to a year left in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard – I thought about law school. I realized that I didn't have enough time to do an entirely new degree, but I thought that the paralegal program would be a great stepping stone. I could use those classes to see if I enjoyed learning about the law while also applying to go to law school.

I didn't exactly think that I would be cut out for law school. So I looked around at different options. I knew that I enjoyed my Poli Sci classes and my now fiancée convinced me that if I really put the work in and enjoyed my classes during the one-year paralegal program that I could definitely handle law school. The Paralegal program helped tremendously. The Legal Research and Legal Writing classes were extremely hands-on and were almost exactly what I had to do in my first semester of law school research and writing classes. The Civil Litigation course that I took required research and writing skills that I use constantly now that I'm here and a part of that class required doing a mock trial where I played the part of the attorney and I believe that it directly led to me finishing in the Quaterfinals of my schools 1L (first year) Opening Statement Competition this past Fall. All of my other classes gave me insight on what attorneys do, as well as various parts of the law, which I believe gives me a huge advantage starting out over many of my fellow classmates.

I would have to say that, comparatively, Clarion is a small school. And I realized that that might have been my biggest advantage although I took it for granted while I was there. I could make personal relationships with faculty members that would help me in countless ways, but I was also able to do a variety of activities that allowed me to work with almost every different major offered. For a short time, I joined the College Republicans. I joined them during the election year because I was interning with the Republican Party of Pennsylvania and was going to attend the RNC with the school that Summer. However, the biggest clubs that I have to give credit to are Kappa Kappa Psi, the marching band, Phi Mu Alpha, and the Student Veterans Association. Kappa Kappa Psi is the honorary band fraternity. I have to say that a variety of debates about the bylaws and constitution of that group probably pushed me towards law school.