Ailey Kato

When I was an undergraduate at Western Washington University, I was interested in examining social inequalities, which convinced me to take action after graduation. I joined Teach For America and moved to Los Angeles to teach high school English at one of the lowest performing high schools in Watts. I was shocked that so many students were not getting the education they deserved, but I also realized how much of a difference I could make in my classroom.

Following my two-year commitment in the Teach For America program, I became a founding teacher of a start-up charter high school that served the same student population. I worked with a dedicated group of teachers and administrators to build a school that achieved dramatic results.

I witnessed many injustices in the educational system, which increased my interest in issues of justice. After four years of teaching, I chose to work as a legal assistant at a Seattle law firm so that I could explore the possibility of becoming a lawyer. I am inspired that lawyers stand up for others, and they navigate the legal system for their clients.

Owen Mooney

My attraction to public service started as an undergraduate student at Gonzaga University. In my course work, I learned of the philosophy of service through solidarity, and my interest in exploring this idea motivated me to volunteer for various justice based organizations. I enjoyed developing relationships with the people I helped, and this intensified my aspiration to work in the interests of social justice.

In pursuing my interest, I chose to teach at a Title I high school in Brooklyn, New York, as part of Teach For America. Through my graduate work, I studied the theory of employing literacy as a catalyst for social progress in marginalized communities. With this theory in mind, I created a social justice based history curriculum targeting the students' literacy needs.

The challenges posed by educational inequity and poverty are great, and though I tried to address them through my pedagogy, I realized that my students needed more than lesson plans, exams, data, text books, letters home, and planning. They needed affirmation and care. This experience taught me the important lesson that one working for justice should acknowledge and act upon the shared humanity existing between his or her self and those being served, especially the universal need for compassion.

I want to continue the work I started as an educator by studying the law. Though it was hard to leave my work in Brooklyn, I look forward to furthering my education and using the law as a tool for progress by means of education, politics, and the empowerment of people and communities. I plan to combine my interest in education and law by starting a community organization that will house a school and offices that serve the legal and political interests of a low income community.

Lindsey Paxton

I became interested in community service and volunteer work as a teenager while accompanying my Dad on medical mission trips to Guatemala and trying to help out in any way possible. After on my first trip, my life was changed and I began to search for ways to become involved in more community service work.

In college at Pacific Lutheran University, I studied Social Work and Global Studies, thinking that I would find a job in a developing country doing relief work. However, while studying social policy in Social Work classes and studying abroad in Oaxaca, Mexico, during a period of social unrest, I began to sense my direction changing. I became more interested in using the roles of policy advocate and community organizer in order to change unjust systems and attending to individuals' needs for direct service.

Since then, I have had many opportunities to work with people, groups and organizations pursuing social justice gathering inspiration and ideas for my personal direction. Most formative has been my two years spent in the Lutheran Volunteer Corps as a Legal Assistant to Latino seniors at a San Francisco legal assistance organization and as a Workers' Rights Advocate at a Chicago Worker Center. I came to law school because I want to study public interest law, and to learn ways in which I can advocate for and work alongside people seeking social justice.

Cherlyn Walden

I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore with a degree in Sociology in May 2007. Through my studies my eyes were opened to the myriad social inequalities that face our society today and I happened upon my passion. As I learned more about the social inequalities in education, housing, banking, and more, I felt a sense of duty and obligation to be a part of finding solutions to correct the problems.

After graduation I moved back to Washington, where I grew up. As I thought about what it was that I wanted to do, one thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to do something that I could believe in, something that would be rewarding, something that could make a difference. I found the perfect fit as a full-time volunteer through the AmeriCorps*VISTA program with the Seattle Washington Reading Corps (WRC), a program of Solid Ground, where I served for two years. The WRC is a state-wide program that focuses on helping struggling readers reach grade-level through reading and literacy interventions, education, and outreach. Through that experience I saw first hand the things I had learned about in school and also had the opportunity to get involved in the community working on grassroots approaches to finding solutions.

I will never forget what my supervisor said to us in her welcome speech my first year. She said, "There is a very distinct difference between charity and social justice work... It is not about just helping people, it is about empowering people to be able to help themselves." That is what has brought me to law school. I feel incredibly blessed and honored to be a Thomas More Scholar, and I look forward to gaining the knowledge and skills to become a social justice advocate.

Laurel Yecny

When I graduated from the University of Portland in 2008, with a double degree in English and German, I wasn't sure what the next step in my life would be. When one of my English professors told me to consider law school, I just laughed him off. I spent that summer as a volunteer teacher in a tiny, rural village in Uganda. After growing up in a small, homogenous town on the Oregon coast, being in Africa drastically changed my perspectives on life. Most of the people I spent time with were virtually penniless, yet they insisted on showering me with hospitality and generosity beyond their means. And they did it all with genuine smiles and without any thought of reciprocation. I gave back what I could, and I left Africa knowing that I could not live a fulfilled life without continuing in the Ugandan tradition of doing for others all that you can with what you have.

The more I saw, and the more I thought about it, going to law school just seemed to click. Being in Uganda helped me realize that there are innumerable people in this world seeking the justice they need to live the lives they deserve. I want to be that liaison for the people who have been denied justice.

I have always enjoyed volunteering, from being a TA at Doernbecher Children's Hospital to reading with kids in the SMART Program. After my experience in Uganda I realized that I wanted to devote my life to helping others. This desire, coupled with my love of learning, made it clear that focusing on public interest law at Gonzaga was a natural progression for me. I look forward to my time at Gonzaga, and to gaining the necessary skills to help improve the lives of others, both here in America and around the globe.

Darcie Magnuson

I became interested in community service when I began my undergraduate career at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. In L.A., as in other large cities, there are polarized extremes between those who have and those who have not. I became curious about exploring the ever-increasing gap between the rich and the poor. As a result, I got involved with community service activities not only to give back to the community but also in hopes of making sense out of these inequalities.

From feeding the homeless sack lunches; to mixing and pouring concrete by hand to lay foundations to build houses during weekend trips to Tijuana, Mexico; to tutoring rowdy second-graders at an after school daycare center in the housing projects of Watts; to going to Guatemala for an alternative spring break program to learn about the injustices suffered by the indigenous Mayans; I became even more passionate about helping those in need and yearned to do more.

After graduation, I decided to dedicate a year of service to the betterment of the community in which I grew up. I joined AmeriCorps with the "I Have a Dream"® Foundation of Boulder County, a comprehensive dropout prevention program for low-income at-risk youth. It was a very strenuous but nevertheless incredibly rewarding year that helped me solidify my career goals for becoming an attorney.

Leanne Park

Professional nursing has afforded me endless opportunities to advocate for the needs of others. Critically ill patients are one of the most vulnerable populations in medicine and many times I served as my patient's only voice. My experiences as a nurse have convinced me that our healthcare system is in desperate need of reform. Exposure to such distinctive needs has inspired me to advocate for any individual marginalized by the healthcare system. Understanding the framework that guides public policy will enable me to advocate for  the health of our community on a broader scale.

I am currently interning with the US Attorney's office for the Eastern District of Washington. This position offers an opportunity to hone my research and writing skills while learning more about the Federal government's impact on healthcare services.

Matt Serres

My decision to attend law school stems from a passion for social justice that began from a young age. In high school, a public service trip to a remote Alaska Native village planted the seed for a notion of social justice rooted in community. I admired the Alaska Natives' communitarian culture, which defined and shaped the villagers in positive ways that reflected their interdependent lifestyle.

After earning my undergraduate degree, I returned to Alaska as a year-long participant in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, living with a group of volunteers dedicated to values of simplicity, discernment, community, and social justice. I longed to recapture the communitarian ideal experienced fleetingly during my time on the tundra years before. Yet as a volunteer in Alaska's largest city, I encountered former villagers disproportionately represented among the homeless I served. Alienated in a dominant culture that does not share the communitarian values of their Alaska Native upbringing, this culture also denies them basic human dignity and adequate legal access.

The next two years included work for two public interest law firms that inspired my decision to join the Thomas More Program. So inspired by the work of one of these public interest groups, the ACLU of Alaska, I chose to return after my first year to serve as their summer law clerk. Today, my greatest motivation as a Thomas More Scholar is to develop the skills to advocate for the fundamental legal rights of marginalized minorities. In doing so, I hope to advance a more communitarian future that truly celebrates our diversity and interdependence.

Chelsea Williams

I grew up in Littleton, Colorado. I attended a large church and a strict college prep high school in a very homogenous community. I became actively involved in political groups and spent a significant amount of time volunteering in downtown Denver. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with the city. But the more time I spent there, the more problems I began to see. I realized how prominent racism still is in our society and how deeply poverty affects so many of our citizens. When I heard about Mission Year, a program that allows youths to live in inner-city neighborhoods volunteering and getting to know their neighbors, I knew I had to go!

After spending a year in Oakland, California, my perspective on life was greatly changed. I was motivated to finish college and work towards pursuing a law degree. I wanted to be a part of the justice system, where I knew I could make a difference. At the same, though, I knew that system was very flawed. I believe that people with strong convictions and passionate hearts who are willing to see the truths of the world around them can and will make a difference.

The Thomas More Scholarship will allow me to pursue that dream. It enables me to maintain my focus on others throughout law school and gives me the financial freedom to start a career that will best serve others. This past summer I was able to intern at the Unemployment Law Project and will continue volunteering throughout this school year. I represented and advocated on behalf of individuals who had been denied unemployment benefits while learning a great deal about administrative law. I am proud and thankful to be here and a part of this program.

Emily Yates

I am originally from Spokane and it is great to be back after a five-year break in the Midwest and on the East Coast. Gonzaga's public interest program was a major draw in my return. There was never a time when I did not want to work with underserved and under-represented populations. As a sociology major in college, I focused on law and deviance.

However, law and public interest came together for me in a very real way when I was working with AVODAH (the Jewish Service Corps) in Washington, D.C. While there, I was placed at a law-themed charter high school where I primarily worked with 9th graders and the Law Day - Street Law Program.  After completing my first year of school I received a grant from the Gonzaga Public Interest Law Program to pursue my interest in family law through Southern Arizona Legal Aid's Volunteer Lawyers Program. Over the summer I participated and helped to coordinate many of the programs' which covered issues of minor guardianship, divorce, custody, paternity, and child support. After graduating I hope to stay in the northwest and pursue a career in either family or juvenile law for low-income clients.

Ryan Ellersick

Going to law school had always sort of lingered in the back of my mind. I majored in political science at BYU, where I took a few elective courses on constitutional law and torts. They seemed so interesting to me, and that solidified my decision to go to law school. I knew I wanted to go into public service but I did not know what school to attend. Getting accepted to the Thomas More Program made that decision easy.

And I haven't regretted it. The Thomas More Program has opened a number of doors for me that may have otherwise remained closed. I have had the opportunity to work at the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Washington State Court of Appeals, and the U.S. District Court for Eastern Washington. I also believe it was my commitment to public service that helped me secure a judicial clerkship for after graduation.

For now I am still undecided, but I am leaning towards a career as a prosecutor. But whatever I decide to do, I am confident the Thomas More Program will have provided a solid foundation for a service-oriented career.

Texie Evans

I earned my undergraduate degree from Boise State University with majors in Political Science and Gender Studies. I volunteered with the Campus Women's Center, served on several university committees and served in the student government as a senator and then as the Student Body Vice President.

During my senior year I did an internship with the Idaho Human Rights Education Center. I decided to go to law school because I thought I would be better able to work for social justice with a law degree.

Between my first and second year of law school I volunteered at Idaho Legal Aid Services.  This past summer I worked as a prosecuting intern for the City of Boise.  While I have recently become interested in criminal law, I am not certain what kind of job I ultimately plan to seek.

I plan to take the bar exam in Idaho and work in Boise. I am currently applying for judicial clerkships at the trial court level.

Robert Green

I graduated from Boise State University in 2006 with a B.A. in Political Science and in Philosophy. With those two employment-guaranteed degrees in hand, I decided to attend law school with the idea of practicing criminal law. I currently work as a legal intern at the United States Attorney's Office in Spokane. I am also a former extern with the Spokane County Prosecutor's Office and a current extern with the Kootenai County Prosecutor's Office. I hope to become a prosecutor after law school. I also work with the CASA Partners of Spokane to increase awareness of and participation in their programs on the Gonzaga Law campus

I spend most of my free time (hahaha) camping, fishing and hiking throughout North Idaho with my beautiful wife and incorrigible two-year-old daughter. Speaking of too much free time, we have another child on the way! Oh well - sleep is overrated.

The Thomas More Program has given me the opportunity to meet other law students and faculty committed to careers that embrace public service. It is no secret that the legal profession offers many unique opportunities. However, through the Thomas More Program I have gained a real sense of how many ways an attorney can have a positive impact on his or her community through service. This knowledge will guide and improve my legal life forever.

Nate Peterson

My commitment to public service took hold in college, where I was among several students who took part in a successful campaign to ensure that migrant farm workers were entitled to a minimum wage. This experience made me an ardent believer in the power of democratic participation and civic engagement.

Later, as student-body president, I found myself advocating on behalf of student academic, financial, and civil interests, which further instilled my passion for public advocacy.

After 9/11, I wanted to serve my country abroad, so I joined the U.S. Peace Corps, where I taught English and worked with community organizations in the former-Soviet Republic of Georgia. At Gonzaga, I’m fortunate to serve as the Editor-in-Chief of the Gonzaga Journal of International Law and as an associate editor of Gonzaga Law Review. Besides the Thomas More Program, my public-service activities include organizing Gonzaga’s Street Law Program.

In the future, I plan to continue my commitment to public service at home and abroad.

Greg Ziser

I became interested in public service early on in life. My parents were both admirable examples when it came to serving others; they instilled in me a passion for giving back to the community that I have tried to develop over the years. I became active in student government during my time as an undergraduate at the University of Arkansas, and worked to develop student leaders and public service opportunities like Alternative Spring Break.

I eventually decided that the law was the best path to further the values I believe in most, and want to continually serve the public with those principles in mind. I have pursued my desire to work in the criminal justice system during my time at Gonzaga through an internship with the Washington State Attorney General's Office and a summer clerking position with a federal district judge. During my final year at Gonzaga, I expect to help the Thomas More program establish the Street Law program at Rogers high school and work in the county prosecutor's office as part of the school's externship program.