Before her campus tour, Meghan Collier ’18 ’22 wasn’t convinced that Texas A&M University was for her. Uncertainty transformed into steadfast loyalty once she experienced Aggieland and Aggies’ strong values. Nearly eight years later, Collier has two Aggie degrees and is on track to live a life devoted to advocating for underrepresented voices.
How has selfless service impacted you?
Others’ generosity has inspired me to do the same for someone else. Receiving the Lou and C.C. Burton ’42 Scholarship in English, a gift the Burtons planned in their will, strengthened my loyalty to Texas A&M and inspired me to give whenever I can. The Burtons’ scholarship allowed me to complete my undergraduate degree debt-free, giving me the flexibility to pursue law school. One day, I want to perpetuate their kindness by creating my own planned gift to support someone who could change the world for the better.
Why did you choose the Texas A&M University School of Law?
I loved the values that Texas A&M instilled in me during my undergraduate career and wanted that to translate to law school. In my application to Texas A&M Law, I wrote about the core value that means the most to me: selfless service. I shared about the Texas A&M experiences that shaped my passion for service—the same experiences that have now empowered me to serve others through the judicial system for the rest of my life. The students and faculty at the law school recognize the importance of public service and challenged me to consider how I can live out the Aggie core values in the field of law.
How does Texas A&M inspire service?
Texas A&M provides endless opportunities to give back. The law school, specifically, assists individuals within 150% of the poverty line through the school’s legal clinics. Students apply their education and exemplify selfless service in various practice areas by representing individuals who wouldn’t have access to legal assistance otherwise.
How did you make a difference as a law student?
I worked in the Immigrant Rights Clinic, where I helped people who sought asylum in the United States after enduring traumatic experiences. Professor Fatma Marouf, the clinic’s director, guided me as I wrote appeals and prepared responses to the opposing council’s objections. This experience taught me the value of building trust with my clients. The clinic has also taught me to be an advocate for justice by working to remedy the shortcomings of the legal system through appeals while also appreciating the strengths and integrity it provides our country. Before graduating, I worked on an immigration appeal in the 11th Circuit. If my oral argument is approved, the case will provide me with the rare opportunity to argue before a federal circuit court.
What does selfless service look like in your life?
Selfless service is using the resources you’ve been given to make a difference in the world. I’ve been afforded an education, and it’s my duty to ensure I use my knowledge to help those who don’t have the same opportunities I have been blessed with. To do that, I want to pursue a clerkship in a federal court, and hopefully someday become a judge.
After my first year in law school, I interned with a federal judge in Dallas and realized that it’s a career that exemplifies every Aggie core value. Judges are chosen for their character and often give up high-paying jobs in an honorable pursuit to uphold the legacy of a strong judicial court system. I plan to embody the Aggie core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service to serve our country as a judge someday.
Originally published here by The Texas A&M Foundation.