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From Your SBA President: Katie Smith

November 11, 2014

When people ask me where I am from, my immediate reaction is to reply with my diatribe of history: I was born in Coronado, but raised in Iowa since I was five years old. I came back to San Diego during my summers to visit because all of my extended family is here. I’ve lived in San Diego year–round, now, for about three years. I don’t know why I think people care to hear about my entire geographical history. I don’t know why it is so difficult for me to pick a place to say I am “from.” But regardless of that, very soon, part of where I am “from” will include Thomas Jefferson.

I grew up in a small town in Iowa. When I was little, my best friends lived a block away. To be honest, no one in the town lived more than a mile away (unless they had pigs – then they probably lived about five miles away). As I grew up, things slowly changed. I don’t know if it was because I changed, or because the town changed, ormayitwasboth. All of a sudden, the people I loved were catty, and the town I loved seemed to be overrun with the same drama that had caused major rifts in my seventh grade classroom. Now I realize, one of the many reasons I hesitate to say, “I am from Perry, Iowa,” is because I am disillusioned as to the small town life.

I never want to feel that same way about Thomas Jefferson. We, as students, have the opportunity to shape our own experiences here at TJSL. We have the opportunity to shape the experiences of those who will come to school next year, and each year following. We have the ability to shape the opinions of what those around us will say and think about TJSL.

We are all in a stage of uncertainty wondering, will I even get a job? Where will this job be? What if I don’t pass the bar? Will I pass this semester’s classes?

What is not uncertain is that our reputation is exactly what we make of it. We, as students and alumnus, must project to the legal world that we have received a great education and that we are worthy hires. Then, we can create a great TJSL legacy.

We have highly educated professors and ambitious students. We are the only people who can tell the rest of the legal community that TJSL students are the best option to hire. We have to believe in our education. After all, our TJSL is where we will be from sooner than later.

We can have no question about our pride. We must be proud. Not only for ourselves, but for future classes.