Believe in Yourself & Bet on Yourself

It is such an incredible honor to stand here today as this year’s Alumna of the Year. I am deeply grateful to be recognized in this way, and even more grateful for the community that has supported and shaped me along the journey. First, to my husband, Kwadwo, and children, Myles and Mina, I love you. You give me the space and love to preside over court during the day, and be mom and wife in the evening. My parents who have not only supported my dreams but also pushed me to be the best version of myself by working hard, being prepared, and caring about my community.

When I think about my time at DSHA, I don’t just think about classrooms and textbooks — I think about the people. The teachers who challenged me, the friends who encouraged me, and the community that surrounded me. They were my village, and without them, I would not be the person I am today. This school gave me more than an education — it gave me the qualities I carry with me every day. The confidence to step into new spaces, even when I wasn’t sure I belonged. The ability to advocate for myself and for others has guided me in every stage of my career and life. And, maybe most importantly, the courage to truly become myself, unapologetically.

I’d like to use my brief time to speak directly to the current Dashers to specifically encourage you to be open to change and to always bet on yourself. So what do I mean by that?

My pathway to the bench was certainly not linear, and I absolutely did not have a desire to be a judge as a student in high school, college, or even as a law student. After I graduated from DSHA, I attended DePaul University in Chicago. My interest in political science coursework, first sparked here at DSHA with [Social Studies Faculty Patrick] Dawson in AP Government, continued to drive my academic journey in college. I will say that though I had an inkling of what I wanted to study and ultimately do when I entered college, I would encourage you all to remain open to the possibility that whatever you think you know about where you want to go, it’s okay to change your mind. I found college to be a time to really explore what I enjoyed learning about, and that taught me so much about myself and the world around me. Be open to changing your mind, allow yourself the space and grace not to have all the answers, and enjoy the process of figuring it out.

After undergrad, I did change my plan and, instead of moving to D.C. or Madison and getting a job in a legislative office, I decided to attend law school after being inspired by a law and politics class my junior year. After starting law school and taking my first criminal law class, I was set on being a prosecutor. I was going to come back to my hometown and ferret out crime and keep our neighborhoods safe. During my final year, I applied for the DA’s office in Milwaukee, my dream job, and, unfortunately, they were in a hiring freeze and could not take me on as a paid ADA. I had a decision to make — because the legal market was not great when I graduated from law school in 2012, I could wait, maybe apply for a non-legal job, go and work for a firm — which I already knew was not going to be my path after having the opportunity to clerk at a large firm during my time in law school, or, what I ultimately decided to do: start my own law firm.

It was not my dream to start a law firm. Quite frankly, I was sad and frustrated to exit law school after that substantial financial commitment, with no job. If I’m honest, it made me feel like a failure, but I met my mentors and family and decided to bet on myself. When I first started, I took small family cases, traffic matters, things that I was sure I could not mess up too badly.