My Mentors’ Helping Hands

By Kayla Medina, Former Fellow

My first year of college was full of ups and downs, but through everything my mentors were there.  I knew that, no matter what, my mentors would be there for support and advice.  It is easy to get stressed out and overwhelmed in college, especially your first year.  I know that I put a lot of stress on myself: about grades, extracurricular activities, socializing, etc.  But having mentors to talk to, made the stress easier to deal with.

During my first quarter at the University of Denver, I was stressed out about my calculus class and, at dinner with my mentors, they gave me study tips and let me know they would always be there for me.  No matter whether my question was personal or academic, my mentors tried their best to give me advice or simply just listen to my problems.  Having someone that is there for you is so important, especially when you are in college, away from home and your normal support system.  My mentors have become a vital part of my support system here at DU.

Being a LAW SCHOOL … Sí Se Puede Fellow has made my first year at college so much easier and more enjoyable.  My mentors have been with me every step of my college journey. Knowing that they are going to be there for the next three years makes me more confident in myself and my ability to finish college and go onto law school.

Sí Se Puede and My First Semester in College

By Devon Johnson, Former Fellow

Just before my first semester of college really got under way, Law School Si Se Puede held a workshop on “Study Skills.” The skills that I gathered at this workshop would help me in all of my efforts over the course of the semester. During the workshop I got a chance to have a look into what kind of a person I am, and turns out I learn best through a mix of listening and doing, which would entail that I need to find a way to approach every task through a manner that appeals to one of these methods. One example from this semester was during English I found that listening to an audio recording of the assigned reading gave me a better grasp on the material, than reading alone would. The workshop also emphasized the pertinence of planning whether that be through a calendar or daily planner. Shortly after the workshop I went out and bought myself a planner and wrote everything in it, from work to assignments or even just time with friends. This enabled me to have a set place to collect my thoughts about what needed to be done. This aspect of planning ahead helped me to execute another part of the workshop - to always study way before the test. The planner held me accountable for the times I carved out for studying; therefore leading to better testing scores.

My semester honestly could not have gone better. I wanted to find some kind of extracurricular activity I could devote myself to and, after a bit of browsing, I found Student Government.  Little did I know what I was getting myself into when I applied to be a Justice.  At UCCS, the Student Government is comprised of 3 independent branches, each with its own respective powers.  You may recognize them, the Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary, which is the branch I am in. After I applied to be a justice my appointment went to a committee in the Senate called AAC, and my appointment was referred to the Senate for ratification. The Senate approved my appointment with only one abstention on September 12th, 2015. I was recruited to sit on the Rules and Organization Committee by the Committee Chair, due to my legal experience in Teen Court. The Committee is in charge of redesigning our governing documents at least every two years, and it is one of the most important committees a Justice can sit on. As the semester progressed I found myself getting more and more enveloped in the association, and I was encouraged by the President to run for the position of Chief Justice because the position would open when the current Chief graduate at the end of the semester. So, after a bit more pushing, I began my own campaign. The documents would require that I receive a majority consensus vote from my branch members to be elected. Unfortunately, I would inevitably lose by 2 votes. But, my campaign would not be futile, according to documents another election for Associate Chief Justice could occur with another majority consensus, and after a successful motion for that vote, I was elected the Associate Chief Justice unanimously. Currently I am working very diligently, in tandem with the Chief Justice, to fix the very dysfunctional branch.

Despite these positive experiences, my first semester of college would not be unmet with its own unique challenges and hurdles. In October, one of my roommates physically assaulted his girlfriend due to his own drunken belligerence. Another one of my roommates was selling drugs out of our dorm room leading to a police investigation that would last the duration of the semester. Yet, I managed to persevere through those lovely distractions, and was able to earn a 3.94 GPA. As the new semester begins I couldn’t be more excited for what the future holds.

Thriving Lawyers

By Micah Sucherman, Mentor
Associate, Gibson Dunn

I’ve assumed from the beginning that being a LAW SCHOOL … Sí Se Puede mentor would be a challenge.  With a few months of mentoring under my belt, though, it’s fair to say that I was completely off the mark in understanding what kind of challenge it would be.  I assumed that my mentee, Carolina, would be a little like I was when I started college—bright, hardworking, a little bit interested in becoming a lawyer, and without any idea of how to get there.

I was off the mark.  Carolina is certainly bright and hardworking, but she is also determined, ambitious, disciplined, and deliberate.  There is no question that she could, with or without a good mentor, attend the law school of her choice and embark on a successful career.  So I’ve been forced to ask myself this question:  How do you mentor a person who is capable of achieving their goals without a mentor?

The answer, I think, lies in understanding what makes for a thriving lawyer.  We are all familiar with the demands that our chosen careers sometimes place on us—the tough cases, the sometimes-difficult relationships with opposing counsel, the judges with strict but inconvenient deadlines.  We balance these challenges against the obligations we have to our friends and families, and quite often to ourselves.  And many of us fail to strike the right balance as often as we succeed.  A case could be made that a thriving lawyer is one that is able to find ways to manage these competing demands while maintaining enthusiasm for and dedication to our chosen profession. 

What Carolina and I often discuss is developing the habits and the mindset to successfully manage her already crowded list of obligations.  We talk about how to balance her pre-law school goals (good grades, the right letters of recommendation, etc.) with the demands inherent in trying to have an enjoyable and memorable college experience.  Should she take a weekend to visit family, or should she devote that weekend to the library?  Should she study abroad for a semester, or should she use that time to focus on pre-law classes?  There are almost never “right” answers to these types of questions, just as there are rarely “right” answers to how we, as lawyers, manage our time (should I finish this brief tonight, or should I hang out with my family, get up early, and finish it tomorrow?).  But by helping our mentees learn how to ask and answer these questions for themselves, we might be able to help them do more than become lawyers.  We might be able to help them thrive as lawyers.