Zeelita is a political science major who plans to be a family lawyer. She has been awarded the Georgia State Minority Scholarship.
What made you decide to major in political science?
When I was applying to college, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer. I did research on which major would better prepare me for that career.
Why does being a lawyer appeal to you?
The whole process is very interesting. The courtroom itself, debating, and being able to argue a case… it’s all so dramatic, like acting. The research process, determining your witnesses, and the final day in court are all very exciting. I had the opportunity to intern this past summer at Fulton County District Attorney’s office, where I observed court cases and helped the crime victims. I was on the phone a lot, calling victims and letting them know updates involving their cases.
I especially want to help children and women who have been through a divorce. My parents went through a divorce, and it sparked my interest in law from that day forward. My mother’s divorce attorney was a really good lawyer. When my parents were going through the divorce, I was about 13 or 14. I got a chance to talk to her attorney about going into the same field. She was a political science undergrad at GSU and we both interned at The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office. She gave me a real insight.
How did you develop your essay?
I developed my essay with the help of Marlena Parker. I knew what I wanted to talk about — how I overcame obstacles in my past and wanted to help people with similar experiences. She helped me structure my essay. The focus of my paper was how I survived my parents’ divorce and how I turned my experiences into my motivation. As a result, I want to become a lawyer and help other people, especially women, that went through my mother’s experiences. I’ve wavered back and forth like any other college student. I thought maybe I wanted to major in psychology and counsel people. But I have realized that I really want to be a lawyer.
What kinds of changes did you have to make in your essay?
When I decided to start looking for scholarships, I didn’t really have a good idea about how to go about applying for scholarships or how to write a good essay. The spring semester of my freshman year, I found out about the Scholarship Resource Center. Looking back on my old scholarship applications I saw my mistakes.
The first draft of my essay wasn’t personal. I was just listing things, like “I want to do this, I’ve done this…” I’ve learned it really has to flow and tell a story.
What do you do in your free time?
I participate in regular college student activities. I like to go out with friends and enjoy life. When I’m a lawyer I know I’ll still manage my personal life well because at my internship the lawyers I met had families. If they can do it I can definitely do it.
I would like to open up my own practice. I imagine me being the boss, and I imagine myself working with a couple of lawyers who want to help families, to help women and children, and whose goals are to make a difference in people’s lives, not just win cases.
What do you think makes a great lawyer?
I think characteristics of a great lawyer are confidence, knowing your field of law, not being intimidated by opposing council, and being prepared and not letting the other person see you sweat. In my opinion, every lawyer should know the rules and procedures of U.S. government and the U.S. Judicial System.
Are you fearless?
I am always apprehensive about the future, but I am not afraid of what I have to do or of what’s in store. I feel that I’m going to learn a great deal and I feel that it’s going to help my future. I see myself growing in knowledge and understanding exactly what I have to do.
What fueled you to be a lawyer?
Before my parents’ divorce, I watched the show Law and Order. The lawyers on the show were very captivating and gave me the first image of a lawyer. I also watched the soap One Life to Live and they had an Afro American female lawyer that won all her cases. That character also fueled my interest. When I met my mother’s divorce attorney, she gave me an example of a real-life lawyer. Even without the elements of the exaggerated drama of both shows, my interest in law grew stronger and it helped me realize that I want to become a family lawyer.
What do you think set you apart from the other applicants?
I feel the judges for the scholarship committee understood where I’ve come from and how I overcame my past obstacles. The judges probably saw that my essay wasn’t just a sad sob story, but it told a story of progress. Through my essay I think they understand how I want to use the negativity in my past and turn it into something positive by helping other people.
How were you able to allow such a difficult part of your past become an enlightened future?
I can’t put a direct point on it exactly, but I have always been mature for my age and I knew I didn’t want to go down a bad path. I’ve known other teens who didn’t have a father figure in their lives or that their parents got a divorce and some of them are pregnant, on drugs, in jail… I looked at that as an example of something I didn’t want to become. I always told my mom not to worry about me during and since my parents’ divorce. In the sense of typical stereotypes associated or connected with kids who don’t have both parents in the home, I didn’t want to become a statistic.