College Experiences That Helped A Paralegal In Legal Services Succeed
Stephanie's undergraduate experience, initially focused on social sciences and then history, instilled valuable skills like "writing, reading, and analyzing," crucial for a legal career. Beyond academics, extracurricular involvement, like joining Latinas Unidas, and prioritizing "mental health, physical health," alongside academic tasks, provided the organization, professionalism, and self-advocacy necessary for success in the "real world" and beyond the "college bubble."
Organization, Professionalism, Time Management, Self-Care, Career Exploration
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Stephanie Henriquez
Paralegal
Legal Services Company
UCLA: 2018
N/A
History, Art History
Law
Legal
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Develop strong organizational skills and time management
2. Gain practical experience through internships or part-time jobs to understand workplace realities
3. Prioritize self-care and mental health alongside academics to achieve a better work-life balance
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
In undergrad, I always remained curious. When I first went to UCLA, I was in social sciences. I did have a brief period where I thought I wanted to go to medical school, but ultimately, I realized it wasn't for me.
So I settled with a history major. It wasn't really settling, though, because I loved history. It involved a lot of writing, reading, and analyzing.
I remember someone approached me about pursuing law school, and I thought, "I never considered that." I ended up loving it. To prepare myself in undergrad, I always stayed organized.
Joining Latinas also helped me learn professionalism for the outside world and work. This included knowing how to write an email, be on time, and understand professional attire.
I think all these experiences in undergrad helped prepare me for the real world and basic jobs. This includes simple job interviews, knowing how to prioritize tasks, exams, assignments, and my own mental health.
Self-care, like going to the gym and knowing how to balance everything, is key. Without mental and physical health, there's not much else you can accomplish. All of this truly helped shape who I am.
This wasn't an overnight process. I've been in school for about four years now, and each year I've learned something new. It's about growth, healing, and everything as a whole. Advocating for yourself is also important.
All those things I did in undergrad helped me get a better idea of what's out there. College can really be a bubble, so it's important to get outside of it. Pursuing internships or jobs will help you see what you might face.
It's not meant to be scary, but to prepare you for the realities of things and to prevent fear from setting in. All of what I did in undergrad truly helped me get to where I am right now.