My Journey Of Self-Discovery

Throughout my life, I have questioned my purpose in this world and how my contributions would affect others. My journey of self-discovery began during my undergraduate career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From balancing responsibilities at one of the nation’s premier public institutions to traveling around the world in order to learn about different cultures, I have learned a great deal about myself and the world in the past five years. My previous experiences have shaped who I am today and shown me that my purpose is to serve underrepresented citizens through the legal profession, namely in the area of civil rights law.

As a Morehead-Cain scholar at UNC, I was blessed with a full scholarship and opportunities to explore the world and immerse myself in other cultures – the most impactful of which was the summer I spent in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 2012. I joined the staff of Hanna’s Orphans’ Home where I taught English classes to children who had little formal education and conducted group counseling

As an African-American male, this incident opened my eyes to the connection between race and law in the United States. The fallout of the case showed how prejudices in our legal system can disadvantage people of color and weaken our civil rights. This incident served as one of the main catalysts to my desire to join the legal field. As a result, I began to explore my interests in legal processes and public service by joining diverse student groups at UNC during my sophomore year. I joined the Attorney General’s staff at UNC as a student counsel where I served as a peer advocate for other students on campus who were facing honor court violations. Also, as President of UNC’s chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, I expanded my service efforts outside of the UNC community and raised awareness about issues in the African American