When I first started at BC Law as a bright-eyed, fresh-faced 1L, I was enthusiastic, but, honestly, utterly clueless about what I wanted out of law school. While diverse in backgrounds and experiences, it’s a safe assumption that, to some degree, BC Law students are cut from the same cloth. We are ambitious, friendly, and intellectually curious. And while that’s what I loved about our student body from Day 1, admittedly, having so many high achievers in one place can make forging an individual path somewhat challenging.

I waited patiently throughout 1L year, hoping to connect with a certain class or professor that would set me on my path. I struggled to make sense of what my past could mean for my future. As an undergraduate science major with work experience in communications, my interests have always been vast and varied. Without a clear-cut direction, I was determined that during my first months as a law student, I would expand my perspective on what it means to practice law in as many ways as possible. I joined student organizations, attended campus events, and most importantly, I continued to engage in all that I had learned prior to law school.

Finally, in the spring of my 1L year, something clicked.

I remember rambling on about easements to a friend one day after Property (shout out to Professor Bilder!), and being met with amusement, but also genuine confusion as I excitedly recited what we had covered in class. Turns out, not everyone is as invested in discussing land as me. So in the coming weeks, I registered for Land Use Planning and Environmental Law for my 2L fall, and before I knew it, I was immersed in a subject that I loved with people and professors who shared my passion.

I have since made sense of my interests in land and environment, now with the understanding that my past experiences in biology and community outreach were preparing me all along for a career as an environmental lawyer. However, I never would have realized my potential without my amazing professors and the abundance of environmental law opportunities that BC Law has to offer. From Professor Plater’s annual barbecue to the Environmental Law Society Winter Weekend in Provincetown, I have had the privilege to learn from preeminent figures in the field of environmental law, and for that, I am forever grateful.

As my 2L year comes to a close, I like to think that I have a better idea of what my legal future may hold. Through my 1L summer/2L fall law clerk experience at Clean Harbors, I witnessed firsthand the wide-ranging impact of environmental law. I am excited to continue to learn more through my work this summer in Washington, DC at Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), where I will assist with legal issues related to environmental law and ethics violations within government agencies. While I know that I have so much more to explore, the BC Law environment has helped me to grow and thrive in unexpected ways.