As a new blogger, I thought I’d take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Bronte; and yes, I was named after the English authors. I’m a transfer student from Southwestern Law School and externed this summer for Forever 21’s legal department. As a transfer student, things have been slightly different for me as I adapt to my new environment. Being transplanted to a new school after my 1L year was definitely a change, but now that we’re about half way through the semester I can confidently say that I have learned all the building abbreviations and have figured out the menu at Sonia’s.
From the first day of classes, I never doubted my decision to come to Loyola. I knew this is where I wanted to be and found a way to make it happen. From the huge selection of classes to the expansive alumni network, Loyola stood out for the ultimate law school experience. Not only was the Loyola name highly respected within the legal community, but I also quickly found that our school’s reputation extended much further than I had imagined.
One experience in particular further reaffirmed this point for me. A few weeks ago I had stopped at a gas station in the Long Beach area. I walked inside the minimart, grabbed my Diet Coke, and stood in line to pay. As I started to collect my things after giving her my money, the woman ringing me up stopped and asked if I “went to that school.” Not realizing I had my Loyola sweater on, I was confused. She then pointed at my sweater and her question made sense.
I answered her question and told her that I was in my second year at Loyola. Her eyes lit up and she proceeded to tell me about her experience with one of our clinics last year. She couldn’t remember the name of the program, but could not stop raving about our campus, students, and faculty. She told me how helpful our school had been in solving a particular legal issue she was facing and how nicely she was treated. A line had built up behind me by now and before I could get out the door she shouted, “keep doing great things, you’re the people making real change.” I thought about what she said as I drove off and realized that I picked the best place to pursue my legal education.