Today, we speak to five Law & Justice Studies majors about how they became passionate about their major and why it was the right choice for them.
“As a Black woman I have lived a life where the justice system played a major part of my childhood. Being in an environment where anything you do could get you stopped by the police, from a parent of mine going to jail for something he did not do. I knew that there were so many injustices in the system and I wanted to change it,” says senior Shakira Harris, a transfer from Rowan College of Gloucester County (now RCSJ), from Sicklerville, NJ (Camden County).
“Since I was a kid, I wanted to be a police officer or fireman. Then the events of 9/11 cemented my interest in law and justice. I worked as a first responder for ten years and decided I wanted to finally complete my bachelor’s degree. This program most closely aligns with my passion and experiences,” says first-generation college student, senior Josh Abbot a transfer from Rowan College of Burlington County from Hainesport, NJ (Burlington County).
“I have wanted to be an attorney since I was a child. It started with watching the old Perry Mason show while visiting my grandmother,” says junior Carl Shawn Watkins a transfer from Devry University, who is from Chicago, IL.
“My son was falsely accused of a crime, and exonerated. I started my interest with wanting to work with youth, and especially minorities, who are absorbed into the system and do not either have fair advantage or are wrongfully accused. That is what gave me my passion in law and justice,” says first-generation college student, junior Teressa Stringfield from Somerdale, NJ (Camden County).
“I want to be a criminal defense attorney,” says first-generation college student, junior Jamar Green, a transfer from Union County College who is from Linden, NJ (Union County).
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Story by: Bianca Torres, Senior, Music Industry major