What is a personal statement and why are they important? Personal statements are what law schools use to understand what an applicant is like in personality, determination, and in writing skill. This section on a law-school application can make an applicant stand out from the pile and become a deciding acceptance factor.
This week the Pre-Law Society wanted to help their members create a strong thesis on their personal statements by asking two questions, “Why do you want to go to law school?” and “What do you want law schools to know about you?”.
To begin, we broke off our members into groups of two to discuss their answers.
In thinking about these questions and developing their answers, the students come a little closer to a personal statement.
After our discussions, our Secretary Jessica Cuevas, and one of our Legal Studies Advisors, Ms. Jean Loveall, explained how to make your personal statement stand out.
Advice included (1) think about what influenced you to choose law as a profession; (2) don’t duplicate your resume; and (3) explain why you would fit at the law schools to which you are applying. And–have multiple people look at your statement!
Of course, workshops and regular meetings aren’t the only things the PLS does. In the next month, we’ll be doing a Mock LSAT, bringing the 10th COA to campus, and bringing guest speakers to campus.
Follow our Instagram for future events and information @prelawsocietyshsu. See you at our last meeting of the semester on April 17!
As LEAP Ambassadors, we do our best to maximize our experiences. This means taking as many opportunities as possible in a given location. So, following a day of conference sessions, we took advantage of a free evening to see “Shear Madness” at the beautiful Kennedy Center.
As we entered the building, a majestic, jaw-dropping hall with worldwide flags hung from the tall ceiling greeted us…
…and at the end, windows from top to bottom with a red dragon on it allowed us to see into the Potomac River.
To add to it, the sun setting on the other side of the building gave us an amazing reflection inside the hall and an awesome view of the D.C. skyline.
While wandering around the building, we were able to recognize the artists of the various art pieces at the patio. Throughout the trip, we have seen numerous works of Lichtenstein so, even though not a fan favorite, we still felt proud to recognize his art.
This trip we have learned and gotten to know the work of Joel Shapiro. Using rectangular abstracts of human figures, Shapiro captures movement of the human body.
Olivia and I saw Debra Butterfield’s work on our Southwest trip at the Texas Tech campus and were ecstatic to see her work again, and in the other side of the country, too.
As we entered the Kennedy Center’s lobby, beautiful chandeliers showed the way into the theatre…
…and we were ready for the play to begin.
The play takes place in a present-day Georgetown in retro styled beauty salon where Tony Whitcomb and Barbara DeMarco, the hair stylists; Mrs. Shubert; Eddie Lawrence, an antique dealer; and Nick O’Brien, an undercover police officer, are introduced to the public.
As Tony and Barbara are at work, they get sidetracked and wrapped in current gossip, frequently unbothered about their costumer’s time or even safety. Suddenly a piano starts playing and Tony begins to complain about Isabel, the upstairs elderly neighbor who is also a worldwide recognized pianist.
Suddenly, the group is told that Isabel has been mysteriously murdered and everyone becomes a suspect to an open crime. As the interrogations begin, the crew starts acting suspiciously and begin to throw each other under the bus with the police in order to not be the main suspect.
What truly made this experience one-of-a-kind, is when Officer O’Brien turned to the public for their insight on the case. With this, the play became interactive, and the crowd begins calling the actors out for lying, covering each other, or acting suspicious. He then invited the public to ask questions, which forced the actors to come up with the answer impromptu, and consequently, start improvising with jokes about current affairs and even about the audience.
Being new to the theater world, I never thought I would find the theater so captivating and humorous. It was amazing to witness the true skills needed for improvisation and I seriously admire the actor’s professionalism and readiness for staying in character without knowing what was to come.
In a small way, it’s like being a LEAP Ambassador, grabbing opportunities as they come, even when we don’t know what might be around the corner!
After exploring several museums in Washington D.C., it was time to stop by the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM). This museum is well known for housing the National Portrait Gallery and its collection of presidential portraits, while also having an impressive collection of works by both established and emerging artists.
Upon entering the museum, we were immediately greeted by the works of renowned artist Gilbert Stuart. Stuart is mostly known for his presidential portraits, including his famous depiction of George Washington found on the dollar bill.
Additionally, the museum featured pieces by other notable artists such as Thomas Sully, who did the famous work of Andrew Jackson…
…and Norman Rockwell, who softened Richard Nixon in his official portrait.
A standout highlight of SAAM is Amy Sherald’s remarkable portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama. Sherald’s portrayal of Mrs. Obama was intriguing. She captured the persona of the former First Lady but also challenged traditional portraiture.
Other notable portraits include Kehinde Wiley’s depiction of Barack Obama, Peter Hurd’s portrait of LBJ, Chuck Close’s complex mosaic of Bill Clinton; and Elaine de Kooning’s atypical portrait of Kennedy . It was wonderful to see how different artists envisioned our past and present presidents in a painting.
And, of course, we would be remiss if we did mention seeing a bust of “our very own” Sam Houston!
But the Museum does not exclusively reflect portraits of presidents and other notables. They are an American Art Museum as well, and I was able to see a work by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a personal favorite of mine, whose work I admired only online before visiting the museum. We were also fortunate enough to reinforce our knowledge and recognition of Alexander Calder.
We saw Edward Hopper works…
…a work by one of Professor Yawn’s favorites, Thomas Hart Benton…
…and pieces by artists as diverse as Grandma Moses, Georgia O’Keeffe, Fredric Remington, Samuel Morse, and Luis Jimenez.
We also saw a piece by Sam Houston alum James Surls…
SAAM’s diverse collection reflects all the changes of American life and its history. Through these portraits and artworks we gained a deeper understanding of our history while connecting it to art.
Whether we were in awe of presidential portraits, or discovering new favorites among the museum’s vast collection, or encountering iconic works by beloved artists, we sure enjoyed our time at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
It was a Good Friday, in every sense of the phrase. The LEAP Center has been very fortunate in being able to host Judge Alberto Gonzalez every Spring semester (with a lot of help from Lt. Col. Yebra) here at Sam Houston State University. Judge Gonzales has served this country in multiple positions from being a lawyer, Judge of the Texas Supreme Court, White House Counsel, the first ever Hispanic Attorney General, and currently the Dean of Belmont Law. Judge Gonzales has an inspiring story, and it is always a pleasure to bring him to campus.
Following an introduction by Cinthia Villarreal, Colonel David Yebra played a video showing highlights of Gonzales’ career. As this video was playing, I flashbacked to my freshman year, when I first met General Gonzales. I remember watching the video and feeling inspired, as his journey reaffirmed my decision to pursue a legal career, with the “hard work and long studying” that he encouraged. This experience came to a full circle as I sat across Judge Gonzales having already been accepted into four law schools, including Belmont Law.
Gonzales discussed the fact that his parents had less than a high school education, but they inspired him to show up, work hard, do the difficult things first, and have faith every step of the way. One of the best pieces of advice he offered was to make sure you took the opportunities afforded you. They may not come along often, and you want to make the most of them.
Students asked many questions, and they were clearly inspired by Judge Gonzales’ discussion. He reminded students that conviction and perseverance are important qualities, and he encouraged students to “Dream as big as you can dream.”
In responding to a question about law school, Judge Gonzales emphasized that a legal education teaches students how to think, analyze, and advocate not only for others but for themselves as well. It presents us with many opportunities and if he were given nine lives, he would pursue a law degree in all nine, that’s how important he believes it to be.
This proved to be inspiring advice, even for those in the group who are not planning to go to law school.
And we had quite the line to sign up for photos with General Gonzales.
We were very grateful that Judge Gonzales and Colonel Yebra agreed to spend their Good Friday afternoon with us!
The LEAP Ambassadors recently stamped their first country in the World Affairs Council of Greater Houston’s Global Young Professionals ‘Culinary Passport’ series, starting with Argentina. This time, we made our way ‘around the globe’ to experience Korean culture at the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Houston.
The Three Post Oak Central Office Building, where the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea conducts business, was a spacious and elevated venue. In fact, the building itself is LEED Gold certified!
We had the pleasure of trying various Korean street food items, such as Korean Bao, Tteokbokki, pan fried dumplings, and Korean fried chicken. This was a delicious way to immerse ourselves into the culture we would be exploring in tonight’s lecture.
The Consul General of Korea, Young-Ho Jung, started the night off by providing some opening remarks. Consul General Young-Ho Jung took the opportunity to highlight Korea’s remarkable success and encouraged us to consider visiting the country on our own someday. This honor was not lost on us, and truly set the scene for an immersion into learning more about Korea’s cultural impact worldwide.
Following his remarks, Jinaeng Choi, a professor at the University of Houston, took the podium to deliver a lecture titled “Mobilities in and of Korean Literature and Media: Rethinking Korean Cultural Product’s Global Rise.” Choi’s lecture provided fascinating insights into the global impact of Korean literature and media, highlighting the ways in which Korean cultural products have transcended borders and captured the attention of audiences worldwide.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Choi’s lecture was her discussion of the intersection between Korean and Latin American literature. She broke down immigration patterns and found that many Koreans migrate to Latin America, leading to a rich exchange of cultures and literary traditions between the two regions. It was here that she provided many instances of this intersection of cultures, such as literary magazines, short stores and poetry, and novels. Professor Choi even brought a personal copy of one of these books, which was translated in both Korean and Spanish. Depending on which way the book was flipped, you could choose which language to read!
Learning opportunities such as these emphasize the depth and complexity of cultural exchange. In the heart of one of the most diverse cities in America, this experience exposed us to new facets of the disciplines, such as literature, film, and music, that we have all enjoyed in various capacities.
The evening was a rich and immersive experience, offering us a taste of Korean culture through its food, art, and intellectual discourse. We left feeling inspired and eager to continue our exploration of the diverse cultures that enrich our global community.
There is always a good reason to visit the Wynne Home, but that is especially true at Easter, when the Arts Center hosts its annual Easter Egg Hunt.
Every year since at least 2010, the Wynne Home has put on this event, and it has proved to be a big community hit. This year, the event, led by Wynne Home Program Coordinator Angela Robinson, was no different, with more than 100 local residents stopping by for games, arts, food, and, of course, the hunt for Easter eggs.
Although the specifics may change from year-to-year, the basic setup is the same. LEAP Ambassadors arrive at 8:30am, other SHSU volunteers arrive just before 10am, and at 11am, the grounds are open for fun, with various games and activities to occupy the children–and the adults.
This year, these included a Ring Toss…
…Cornhole…
a velcro dart game…
…sidewalk chalk, bubbles, balloon art, an arts-and-crafts table…
…and a spoon race.
Of course, the Easter Bunny was there…
…providing much fun and, thankfully, terrifying few.
After an hour of fun and games, we serve lunch, which consists of hot dogs, chips, cookies, and a drink.
With well over 100 people there, this can pose some logistical problems, but Stephanie–the grill master–kept things moving along smoothly.
And at 12:45pm, the Easter Egg Hunt begins. If you’ve never seen a hundred kids chomping at the bit to get to easter eggs, then you’ve never fully felt danger.
With the help of some wonderful volunteers, however, we were able to prevent bedlam and violence.
The grounds are divided into two areas: 5 and under; and 6 and older–the latter of which is more competitive.
Despite the competition and one-upmanship…
…however, there was a lot of camaraderie and good feelings.
The Wynne Home, with its mission of promoting the arts and community heritage, was a perfect place to host the Easter Egg Hunt. And the volunteers–who consisted of Nancy Ormsby, Lois Stehlik…
Lulu Lopez, Macey Schank, Yajaira Gutierrez Marin, Madison Cawthon, and the six LEAP Ambassadors, did a great job of manning stations. Angela Robinson, with the help of Wynne Home staff members Peyton Conley and Emily Eoff, did a great job of running the show.
Of course, it was great to see SHSU represented, with Dr. Jeffrey Gardner, Dr. Michael Demson, Dr. Jennifer Didier, and Sarah Burchett. And it was great to see so many City staff there, assisting and enjoying the spirit of the occasion.
Or, at least having fun.
Many thanks to the Wynne Home and the City of Huntsville for hosting this event annually. Most important: Happy Easter to all!
Last year, Derrick Birdsall, Director of the Sam Houston Memorial Museum and Republic of Texas Presidential Library, asked whether we would be interested in having an exhibit of our photographs. Of course we said, “Yes!” And with this agreement, we had the pleasure of working with Derrick, Jude Routh, Megan Buro, and the wonderful Museum staff on this exhibit.
The exhibit showcases photos taken by either LEAP Ambassadors or their advisors, Mike Yawn and Stephanie Fors. The photos range from state parks, national parks, architecture, people, wildlife, and other scenes–all taken from a LEAP-related trip or adventure.
We were, of course, concerned that people might not attend. It’s not easy to explain what LEAP is, and we are not logically or conceptually associated with photography. LEAP, after all, stands for Law, Engagement, And Politics. So, what if people thought it was an exhibit about Law? Or Politics? Or what if no one wanted to see photographs by people who aren’t professional photographers?
All those were legitimate concerns, so we took extra care to send out invitations, and the Museum did a great job marketing the event (and hanging the show)!
As it turned out, we had a great showing of town-and-gown participants. It was wonderful to see some of our LEAP alumni there…
We saw many old friends, such as Mac and Leanne Woodward, Dr. Ralph and Linda Pease, Gene Roberts, Vice-Provost Anne Gaillard, Linda McKenzie, Dr. Stacy Ulbig, Charlie Vienne, Karen Altom, Dr. Tamara Waggener, Thomas Leeper, Ken Holland, and President James and Nancy Gaertner!
In all, more than 200 people showed up, which may be a record for an exhibit opening at the Walker Education Center. We were very pleased with the attendance, and even more grateful that we live in a community that supports students. We, personally, have had some amazing experiences and memories because of our adopted hometown.
Derrick Birdsall did a nice job introducing us…
…Morgan Robertson then made a few comments and introduced the other Ambassadors…
…and then Professor Yawn discussed the LEAP program, told some stories (and some stories behind the stories), and described the exhibit.
We were pleased with the showing from elected officials, such as Commissioner Bill Daugette, Tax-Assessor Collector Diana McRae, District Attorney Will Durham, Judge Tracy Sorenson, Councilmember Casey Cox, School Board Trustee Ken Holland, and Jeff Murski from Congressman Pete Sessions’ office was also on hand! We even had Councilmember Hinojosa and the City Manager from Madisonville, Fabrice Kabona, on hand. And, we were especially gratified to see so many City Staff, with whom we’ve had long partnerships in internships, programs, and other forms of community support.
Most of all, it was wonderful to see so many friends and also to see so many people having a good time.
Thanks to the Sam Houston Memorial Museum, the many people who attended, and the to the University at large.
If you missed it, the exhibit is open until May 12. The Walker Education Center is open from 9am-4pm Tuesday-Saturday. If you’d like to arrange a “group tour,” the LEAP Ambassadors are also happy to accommodate. Feel free to contact Professor Mike Yawn at mike.yawn@shsu.edu.
With March designated as National Criminal Justice Month, the majority of the LEAP Ambassadors studying Criminal Justice, and, well, Huntsville being Huntsville with seven state prisons; we saw it fit to visit the Texas Prison Museum for our March edition of Visit Huntsville.
Established in 1989, the non-profit (which is not affiliated with TDCJ) has served citizens and visitors by satisfying the curiosity that shrouds the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) and what happens inside those red-brick walls.
Olivia, who has visited the Walls Unit twice, enjoyed describing some of her experiences as we peered over a miniature model of the penitentiary in Texas. This was but one example of displays that captivated our attention during our visit.
Michelle particularly enjoyed the “famous/Infamous” prisoners section, where we saw many familiar names, including Clyde Barrow and Fred Carrasco.
However, of the names and stories we read, she knew the most about the various plots and conspiracies regarding the murder of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez by Yolanda Saldívar.
The Texas Prison Museum should take pride in what they accomplish though documenting the history of TDCJ, detailing what current conditions are like as an inmate, and honoring the 36,000 employees that work for the agency across the state.
The Museum also has a wide array of items made by those incarcerated. Both the illicit and sanctioned products were shocking in terms of skill and craftsmanship.
My favorite was an entire chess set, carved entirely out of soap, with prison inmates and guards pitted against one another. Upon further inspection, the guards held batons, and coffee mugs while inmates sported homemade weapons.
The main attraction found at the Texas Prison Museum, perhaps because of morbid curiosity, is Old Sparky. From 1924 to 1964, the electric chair was the sight of 361 deaths in the state of Texas.
Preceded by hanging and succeeded by lethal injection, Old Sparky now remains decommissioned and in the Museum as a unique part of TDCJ history.
The Museum and its dedicated staff do a great job of educating the public, offering interesting and intriguing exhibits, and shining light on the rarely-seen lives of TDCJ inmates. It’s a great stop on any visit to Huntsville, TX!
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 