Showing Up: What One Campus Event Taught Me

Empowering communities with the power of law and story.  

Loyola is home to a wide variety of student clubs and organizations, many of which host events throughout the year.  As an evening student, my schedule can be demanding, and it is not always easy to stay on campus beyond what is required.  Still, I made a promise to myself early on in law school: each semester, I would attend at least one or two campus events.  So far, I have managed to stay true to that promise.

While I have attended several great events during my time at Loyola, the one that stands out most is the Health Law Student & Alumni Mixer that took place during the fall semester of my second year.  Before attending, I knew very little about health law.  I mainly went to accompany a friend, expecting to listen politely and learn more about a field that was unfamiliar to me.

What I did not expect was how interesting the conversation would be.

The event featured a panel of four Loyola alumni who now work in different areas of health law. Each speaker shared how their careers developed and how their experiences at Loyola helped guide them toward the field.  One of the most surprising things I learned was that many of them had not planned to pursue health law when they first started law school.  Instead, internships, coursework, and networking gradually introduced them to the field and shaped their career paths.

Listening to their stories opened my eyes to the scope of health law.  The work extends far beyond what I had imagined, touching on areas such as regulation, compliance, and sometimes even litigation. 

After the panel concluded, the event transitioned into a mixer where students had the opportunity to speak with the alumni individually.  What stood out most was how approachable and generous everyone was with their time. The attorneys answered questions and offered advice to students who were still exploring their interests.

I left the event not only with a better understanding of health law, but also with several new professional connections.  I exchanged LinkedIn information with a few of the alumni and later had the opportunity to meet with one of them individually.  During our conversation, she shared helpful advice about preparing for the bar exam and navigating some of the more challenging semesters of law school.

Law school often encourages us to think carefully about the paths we plan to pursue.  But events like this one remind me that sometimes the most valuable experiences come from simply showing up with an open mind. For me, the Health Law Student & Alumni Mixer was a reminder that some of the best opportunities in law school happen outside the classroom.

TOPICS: 2E, Alumni, Campus Activities, Networking