Alcorn State University's Joy Applewhite finds the right fit at American University
|
Posted By: Reginald Claremont on May 02, 2018 After being accepted into seven of the country's best law schools, Joy Applewhite, a senior who will earn a bachelor's degree in psychology during Saturday's 2018 Spring Commencement Exercise at Alcorn State University, has chosen the school that will push her to her dream career. Applewhite will attend American University's Washington College of Law this fall in Washington, D. C. Other schools that accepted Applewhite were Howard University, the University of Memphis, the University of Mississippi, Saint Louis University, Southern University and the University of Tulsa. She's excited about all the new opportunities that the school would offer her. "I am looking forward to new learning experiences," said Applewhite. "I am eager to have the hands-on experience of preparing to practice law. I am excited to offer help to potential clients who are in need." In the initial stages of Applewhite's law school pursuit, she overlooked the school. Thanks to a mentor, she was led to the school's website, and from there, she knew that it was the right place for her. "American University was not on my radar, but at the advice of a mentor, I decided to look at its website to see what the law school had to offer. The presentation of the site was soothing and welcoming. American University has such a diverse clinical program that ranges from criminal justice, immigration justice, and domestic violence to name a few. The school actively prepares students for life after law school, and it offers self-help options such as yoga, meditation and martial arts, which are essential to me." Pursuing a legal career is a different path from the one that Applewhite followed at Alcorn. She is transitioning from psychology, but she believes her psychology degree will aid her in understanding her clients better and counseling them through the legal process. "As a lawyer, you provide counsel. You have to know and understand your clients during a time when they have no clue how to proceed. I believe that having a degree in psychology will help me in the legal field because I will have a greater understanding of people." Applewhite's path to law school wouldn't be possible had it not been for her time in the Sidley Pre-Law Scholars Program in Chicago last summer. She is fortunate for the resources the program provided for her. "Participating in the program was indeed a blessing. As a minority, I believe the program prepared me not only for the LSAT but also it provided me with the finances to fund my journey to law school." Trying to balance her many educational and organizational requirements, along with attempting to have a social life, was challenging for Applewhite. Despite the full agenda, she appreciates the grind because she believes that it was just a preview of how law school will be. "This year prepared me for having a lot to do at once and maintaining a balance that was healthy for myself and others. It was so much going on, but it shows how vital time management is. This year helped me to become gritty enough to remain strong through adversity." Now that Applewhite is approaching the conclusion of her undergraduate studies, she feels a sense of accomplishment. She's proud of her journey and all the achievements she earned along the way. "It's a relief. As graduation and the end of the school year approaches, more stress has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel like I can look back and be proud of my accomplishments and soak in the moment of being a graduating senior." -ALCORN- Alcorn State University is a premier comprehensive land-grant university that develops diverse students into globally competitive leaders, and applies scientific research through collaborative partnerships that benefit the surrounding communities, state, nation, and world. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
 |
Reginald Claremont
President, Fulfillment and Web Services, HBCUCONNECT Clark Atlanta University class of 1998 Member Since September 2000 |
Comments
More From This Author
| Register Now For MissionTech: Virtual Hiring Event For Military Veterans, Transitioning Service Members, and Military Spouses |
| HBCUConnect Releases Summer/Fall 2026 Alumni Magazine Celebrating HBCU Excellence, Career Opportunities, and Culture |
Latest News
 |
FAMU Rattler Great Andre Dawson Receives Florida Governor's Medal of FreedomToday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis presented the Governor’s Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the Governor can bestow on a Floridian, to Baseball Hall of Famer and proud Florida A&M University (FA ...more
Reginald Claremont • 138 Views • October 19th, 2026 |
 |
STARZ Named Presenting Sponsor as HBCU First LOOK Film & TV Festival Returns to Howard University Nov. 5-7For three days this November, Howard University will transform into the epicenter of Black film. The 4th Annual HBCU First LOOK Film & TV Festival (HBCUFLF) returns to the nation's capital Novembe ...more
Roger Gates • 98 Views • October 19th, 2026 |
 |
NCCU Awarded $4.9 Million to Accelerate Its Path to R2 Research StatusDURHAM, N.C. — North Carolina Central University (NCCU) has been awarded $4.9 million from the U.S. Department of Education's Research and Development Infrastructure Grant Program to expand its ...more
Roger Gates • 184 Views • October 14th, 2026 |
 |
America's Next Historically Black Medical School Earns Preliminary AccreditationXavier Ochsner College of Medicine, the only HBCU college of medicine in the Gulf South, has earned preliminary accreditation from the LCME and will begin recruiting its inaugural class of 2027. ...more
Roger Gates • 214 Views • October 14th, 2026 |
 |
Register Now For MissionTech: Virtual Hiring Event For Military Veterans, Transitioning Service Members, and Military SpousesSharing an upcoming opportunity for veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses interested in tech! Maximus is hosting MissionTech on Oct. 28, a virtual hiring event where attendees ...more
Reginald Claremont • 577 Views • October 13th, 2026 |
Popular News
 |
Louisiana Upholds Life Sentence to Black Man For Stealing Hedge Trimmers in 1997While this may not be HBCU related news, as an AFrican American male, I had to share this appalling decision by the Louisiana court system to keep a man in jail with a life sentence for such a petty c ...more
Roger Gates • 406,070 Views • August 6th, 2020 |
 |
Blonde Instagram Model Goes Viral for Graduating from HBCU and Pledging Delta Sigma Theta!A blonde woman is going viral this morning, for graduating from A Historically Black College while pledging a Black sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.
@Blonde_HBCU
The woman, an IG ...more
Roger Gates • 190,440 Views • November 30th, 2020 |
 |
Apple to Invest over $40 Million Dollars into HBCUs - Time to major in Computer Science!!!On Tuesday Johnny C. Taylor, President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund stopped by “NewsOne Now” to make a major announcement that could literally change the lives of thousands of HBCU st ...more
Roger Gates • 131,164 Views • March 11th, 2015 |
 |
North Carolina HBCU Unity DayShaw University - Elizabeth City State University - Johnson C. Smith University - Fayetteville State University - Livingstone College - North Carolina A&T State University - North Carolina Central Uni ...more
Reginald Claremont • 119,044 Views • August 8th, 2016 |
 |
Black Billionaire Robert F. Smith to Donate $50 Million to Support STEM Students at HBCUsThe Student Freedom Initiative announced today a $50 million personal gift from Robert F. Smith, philanthropist and Founder, Chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners. This gift matches the initial fu ...more
Roger Gates • 86,786 Views • October 22nd, 2020 |
