I wasn’t sure I was even going to go to college, explains Nicole. She took a year off after high school, and then ultimately decided to give it a go and apply to IU South Bend. Even then, she wasn’t quite sure what she wanted to major in or what career she wanted to eventually pursue, so I just picked something I found interesting: political science.
That decision ended up being a game changer for Nicole. I’m very happy that I chose to come to IU South Bend. The smaller size was perfect for me, since it helped me really be able to focus. As Nicole got further into her political science studies, she became involved with the American Democracy Project of IU South Bend, which promotes civic and political engagement initiatives. That introduction to civic engagement paved the way for Nicole’s career path, and she will be pursuing a career in law.
She was accepted into Notre Dame Law School, where she will begin her professional graduate studies in the fall. This summer, Nicole isn’t taking a break though she will be getting a head start on her law education before starting law school by spending her summer immersing herself in the Indiana Conference for Legal Education Opportunity (ICLEO) fellowship program. This distinguished program is a diversity initiative, which helps college graduates from historically underrepresented backgrounds pursue a law degree and a career in the Indiana legal community.
Nicole has big plans to make an impact once she completes her law degree. I will likely look into working in corporate big law to start my career, says Nicole. After that, I hope to transition into environmental law. Inspired by the environmental justice policies proposed by the Green New Deal, Nicole hopes to eventually become involved in the new areas of environmental law that are projected to develop as renewable energy and other green-related industries grow.
