Amidst the global pandemic, I was quite unsure about summer internship opportunities and jobs. Before students transitioned to online learning, I had applied for a legal internship in the City of Yonkers. Though I applied very early, throughout the Spring semester, I heard many students’ internships were being cancelled or postponed and I was very nervous that the same would happen to me.
Thankfully, I was notified in early June that my internship program was still trying to run its course. On my first day, I was amazed by the different law libraries and offices. This allowed me to envision myself, one day, sitting in an office, making a change within my local or broader community.
At my internship, I mainly archived dated legal documents and assisted with composing legal contracts. Through this legal experience, I was able to recognize that this is the professional field that I would like to enter, but my specialization would be Environmental and Education Law.
In my Spring 2020 semester, I took a course titled Environmental Law and it opened my eyes to the carelessness of how individuals treat their own environment. I questioned myself as to how people would be able to learn about conserving their environment and I realized, it all starts when one is young. Therefore, I recognized that I wanted to practice Education Law, while implementing and advocating for environmental topics and sustainability within primary and secondary education.
Although many days can be filled with doubt and uncertainty, make sure to reflect on your summer and write down the new goals and realizations you have acquired.As the summer comes to an end and students are on the verge of a new virtual school year, I realized that I am getting closer and closer to becoming a lawyer.
By: Kristen Annia Dillard, Barnard College, Class of 2022
Environmentally Conscious 