Public Health and Law Pre Grad Intern Halle Charmaine Finkley
The IE mentorship program has helped me grow and build a connection with a mentor who has experienced and persevered through everything I hope to achieve in my future. Gaining Laura as my mentor has been an invaluable experience: she is so welcoming and kind and has truly prepared me in many aspects to face the law school admissions process. Laura encouraged me to think deeper, focus on what I really wanted and helped me see the realities of the amount of work, dedication and perseverance necessary to pursue law school. I am so grateful for this opportunity, not only did I gain a mentor, I gained an amazing friend that inspires me to commit to my dreams and strive forward for the future.
I am seeking this opportunity to gain a mentor to further my education by studying law to facilitate a personal outlet of development and growth for my personal skills in regards to working with and empowering my community. Throughout my time at the University of Texas at Austin I have gained an enumerable amount of skills that have increased my passion for advocating of improved public policy and healthcare while utilizing my communication skills in both of these areas. My future career plans include to pursue a law degree in addition to a masters in public health that will allow utilization of my law skills to promote healthcare law and make a positive impact on healthcare legislative acts.
My interest in the causes of disparities in health care led to the pursuit of a career in social inequality, health and policy. Focusing on these disparities expanded my learning beyond the classroom and into the social justice aspect of healthcare. Living in an urban area like Houston, Texas, I have witnessed social inequality because of a growing homeless population. I volunteered at a local food pantry and thought I knew what the less fortunate experienced. I was more than willing to help those in need who came in to the food pantry, but seeing them suffering within my own community was astonishing. I have studied healthcare, social justice, economic equality and public policy abroad in London England through a rigorous program focused on the roots of social and economic justice within the establishment of the vibrant city of London and how that compares to the founding of a nation as unique and diverse as the United States. This program not only helped develop deeper critical thinking and analytical skills that truly sparked my interests in government and how they influence social and economic structures and how in turn these develop into social and economic policies.
My unique perspective as a communication sciences and disorders major, my sincere passion, and drive to learn as well as my work ethic and leadership skills are some of the major contributions that I feel explicate me as a great fit for law school. Eradicating disparities healthcare by promoting social equality is an aspect of my professional goals and a personal passion that I fully intend to pursue. A legal education will certainly benefit and assist in accomplishing these goals as I plan to pursue this law program that will allow me to earn a Juris Doctor degree as well as a master’s in Public Health. Law school is a long challenging task, that I am fully prepared and determined to work hard, rise and meet that challenge. I believe that law school will allow me to pursue my long term goal of working for larger organizations such as the Center for Disease Control or the Food and Drug Administration, while allowing me the option to also help my community through work at a local hospital.
My passion was truly ignited following my selection to study abroad on one of University of Texas at Austin’s most competitive and selective programs: Perspectives on Social and Economic Justice Summer 2015 in London England. Program encompassed social justice issues and promote students to compare and contrasts social economic structures of the US and concluded the program with a final presentation of data and findings after independently meeting with specific UK agencies including Great Ormond Children’s Street Hospital, the British Medical Association and member of parliament Barry Sherman for key insight to political structure and policy legislation in the UK.
This mentorship has been a phenomenal program that has allowed me to share my interests in graduate education with an amazing group of like minded peers. I enjoyed each meeting and learned so much from everyone! The most surprising thing I learned about law school is the immense support law schools provide their students. I learned that UT law offers immense programs and opportunities for networking and has a diversity of scholarships to support students in financially reaching their goals.
This program has taught me the importance of commitment and passion and dedication and how to balance these aspects to achieve my goals. My mentor Laura was truly outstanding and showed me the steps necessary to reach law school. Laura assisted me in editing my personal statements, LSAT Prep and much more. She offered the opportunity for me to sit in on a law class and observe what student life is really like. Laura provided me numerous inside tips to achieving success and allowed me the opportunity to shadow at law class. The most surprising thing I learned about the field of law through the course of this internship Laura really shared her insight on what it takes to be successful not only in law school, but in a career as a practicing attorney. She confidently shared her story of how mock debates, Constitutional review classes and endless networking opportunities were allowing her to gain professionalism and communication skills to carry over into her future career. Additionally my interview with the Liberal Arts law school admissions coach gave me additional insight from a professional standpoint of someone that has completed law school.
I am forever grateful to this program for allowing me as an undergrad the opportunity to spend an entire semester learning about graduate level education: this experience and what I have learned will go further than grad school and a career. The skills I have learned will carry over into the work ethic and choices I will make in the future.