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In 2015, I accepted a position as a Senate Page with former
Senator Edna Brown [Ohio Senate District 11, Toledo Area],
who guided me on interests in health equity and policy.
Following that opportunity, in 2017, I accepted an
internship with the Ohio Department of Medicaid to learn
more about the bridge between law/policy and health.
In solidifying this connection, I ultimately decided to
pursue a Master of Health Administration (MHA) degree as a
means of satisfying my love for both health and law/policy.
Fortunately, I was accepted into the seventh-ranked MHA
program in the country at The Ohio State University and
began my graduate studies immediately after completing my
undergraduate degree in 2017 [Bachelor of Science in
Nutrition Sciences].
During my interview for the MHA program, my experiences with
LLI were the main thing spoken about with one of the
admissions team members, who happened to be a lawyer.
It’s pretty comforting to
know how much things have come full circle with being in LLI.
Ten years ago in 2008, I was in eighth grade, starting the
LLI program. Now, here I am in 2019, in my final semester of
completing my masters degree and I am taking healthcare law
which is required as part of our degree program.
Historically, it is a
tough course as it is taught by professors from Ohio State’s
Moritz College of Law. Luckily for me, my background from
LLI has given me a leg up in understanding the material and
critically thinking. I can truthfully say, more than half of
the topics and methods taught in my graduate level course
were taught to me through my time as a student in LLI.
To this very day, I still
keep in touch with my LLI classmates and LLI teachers. I
even keep in touch with the program director, Marilyn
Preston, J.D., and my LLI internship preceptor, Pariss
Coleman II, J.D., both of whom have continued to be
phenomenal mentors in my professional development.
Considering all that’s
been said, it is tough to note one particular thing from LLI
that has benefited me the greatest. The program is so well
rounded and looks at students holistically. It levels the
playing field by providing an array of opportunities for the
advancement of students from disadvantaged backgrounds. For
that, I will be forever grateful for this program, and I
take great pride in being a former scholar of the Law &
Leadership Institute.
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