Wednesday, November 21, 2018
Introduction: Jenny Vliet
Introducing yourself is not always an easy task, but there is one attribute about me that awkwardly segues into why I am here at Loyola, pursuing a law degree; I am a tall woman.
That probably sounds like a strange way to introduce myself, considering height is just a genetic attribute, like having brown eyes, or red hair. You can’t change your height, but when I was in the 7th grade, you can bet your last dollar that I prayed every night to shrink by 4-5 inches.
I am about 6’1, and when I was growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, my height was the first thing everyone noticed. I would walk into a room and get “wow you’re tall”. I HATED it. There were even a couple times where my teenage angst would get the best of me and I would actually TEAR UP, when someone commented on my height. Yes, I would cry because someone said I was tall. Not proud of it.
I hated it until two COMPLETELY different things happened to me. The first is that I became athletically inclined. I learned how to use my tall, lanky body and became pretty good at sports. The second is that I fell in love with fashion. I was enthralled by the idea of finding new trends that complimented those long legs that tall woman struggle with on the daily.
Sports ended up influencing my career goals, while fashion remained a hobby. I went to undergrad at Saint Louis University in Missouri. Where my height and love of sports did me some favors. I played for the division I woman’s basketball team. I always knew I wanted to go to law school, but I never knew how much I wanted to work in sports law until I was immersed in college athletics.
There are pressing problems in the sports world that came to my attention during my time at SLU. My future lawyer dream is to be a part of the amending, reforming and changing of how the sports world works. Whether that means being an assistant, working in-house, being general counsel or attaining my dream and opening my own agency; my aspiration is to work in sports law.
So, THANK YOU TO MY HEIGHT and all the struggles we have had. I might not be here without you 😃