At Meredith, Jennifer Garcia, 鈥�19,聽worked toward her longtime aspiration to become an attorney. She’s now attending law school at Campbell University, and her varied experiences at Meredith prepared her for this聽next step.
鈥淚 plan to specialize in immigration law. As an attorney I also hope to empower young Latinas to pursue the profession, as I鈥檝e learned that Latinas account for less than two percent of the lawyers in the U.S.,鈥� said Jennifer, an Honors student who majored in business administration and political science with a pre-law concentration.
Jennifer鈥檚 undergraduate research project in political science explored the campaigning methods of Latinos in Congress, focusing on whether or not these candidates stress their identity as Latinos during their campaigns.
鈥淢y research聽fueled my passion to empower other young Latinas to be bolder and take greater risks because we need more representation, not only in Congress, but in the professional realm overall,鈥� Jennifer said.
At Meredith, Jennifer saw the importance of positive role models through the example of Assistant Professor of Political Science Whitney Ross Manzo.
鈥淒r. Manzo was聽not only my advisor, but a teacher, mentor, and friend. Dr. Manzo serves as an exemplary leader as a woman that I looked up to in all of my four years because of her professionalism, passion, and ingenuity. Her passion for the discipline radiates from her,鈥� Jennifer said. 鈥淒r. Manzo serves as the epitome of what Meredith encompasses in terms of intention and empowerment for the well-being of her students.鈥�
Jennifer鈥檚 undergraduate research project聽provided many opportunities to practice her presentation skills. She presented the research at the N.C. Political Science Association鈥檚 annual meeting and at the Midwest Political Science Association Annual Conference in Chicago. Finally, she shared her work聽on campus during Celebrating Student Achievement Day.
Serving on the Honor Council at Meredith聽also helped build skills needed for her future career.
鈥淲orking on a team of other representatives, officers, and staff has really improved my collaboration skills. What sets our Honor Council apart from many others is our mission to help each student in the best way possible, focusing on a constructive model, rather than a punishment model,鈥� said Jennifer. 鈥淢y critical thinking skills have definitely been expanded because we tailor each case outcome specifically to each student to improve her educational and social experience here at Meredith.鈥�
Jennifer supplemented her on-campus experiences with numerous internships. She worked with the Wake County Public Defender鈥檚 office, at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation鈥檚 General Counsel鈥檚 office in Washington, D.C., for two summers, and at the N.C. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
鈥淢y experiences at Meredith聽shaped me to become a stronger, confident woman and professional,鈥� Jennifer said. 鈥淢eredith allowed me to not only identify my strengths, but also to use these strengths in every opportunity I鈥檝e been given.鈥�
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