There are numerous roads to law school, and no one-size fits all path to a successful legal career. Follow along with our series highlighting BC Law students and how they got here! 

Our first three entries were with Sara Womble, a 2L from Winston Salem, NC, Elias Massion, who comes from Nashville, TN and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Samina Gagné from London and Columbia University. Today’s Q&A is with Alvin Synarong from Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Princeton.

---

What did you do before coming to law school?

Before law school, I spent a year teaching at a charter school in northern Massachusetts. I taught Spanish for the first few months before transitioning to the science department. I also informally worked as one of the school’s translators because a large majority of the students spoke primarily Spanish at home. I did a Fulbright at the Catholic University of Portugal in Porto the following year. I was placed in a neuroscience lab where I helped my advisor and her graduate students conduct research. I worked as a translator again, translating my department’s website from Portuguese to English, research projects between English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and other departmental materials like course syllabi and brochures. I concluded my Fulbright by giving a presentation to my advisor’s incoming intern cohort on the intersection between neuroscience, language, and culture.

Why did you decide to go to law school? And why BC Law? 

I decided to go to law school because I enjoyed the communication and people aspects of my degree and work experience. I tutored in a prison, where I had the chance to work with people who only spoke Spanish as they were preparing for their GEDs. I later took a course called “Legal and Business Spanish” that served as the stepping stone for my interest in law school. I learned about the Spanish legal system, developed fundamental vocabulary to be a Spanish-speaking attorney, and concluded the class through simulating a murder trial. The tutoring experience and that class cemented my desire to go to law school. I chose BC because I knew I wanted to return to Massachusetts for school, and I loved that BC exists in its own bubble, cementing a very communal feel.

How have your past experiences informed your law school experience and future career interests? 

My past experiences reinforced my interest in advocacy, drawing me to BC’s Lambda and wanting to help BC’s queer community. In terms of post-BC, my language background led me toward immigration law and international trade or tax, specifically focusing on the Portuguese and Spanish-speaking worlds.

---

Sangeeta Kishore is a second-year student at BC Law and president of the Impact blog. Contact her at kishorsa@bc.edu.