President's Blog: From the Heart

By Eric F. Spina

During the middle of a performance at the Dayton Arcade, Arabella Loera ’23 sought out Dr. Laura Hume in the audience for a poignant exchange.

“You encouraged and supported me immediately when I came here,” Arabella told her faculty mentor during a scene in an original play, the centerpiece of the “We Soar” campaign launch in April.

“I’m glad you felt welcomed. I always want my students to feel that I support and encourage them,” replied Dr. Hume, her pre-law adviser. “You are a brilliant example of what can happen when we cultivate the potential in students.”

And what happened is one for the history books.

During ASI 150, a required first-year experience course for all undergraduates, Dr. Hume recruited the Milwaukee native “on the spot” for the mock trial team after she heard her presentation following a scavenger hunt assignment. Fast forward four years, and Arabella topped more than 7,300 mock trial students with the only perfect 40 score at the American Mock Trial Association’s regional and national qualifying tournaments this spring.

That’s right — the *only* perfect score in the entire country. She will travel to Philadelphia with head coach, assistant U.S. attorney, and “extraordinary mentor” Jade Smarda ‘09 and join 15 other college students at the “Trial by Combat”competition June 23-25 at Drexel University. The winner will be recognized as the best mock trial student in the nation.

But Arabella is already a winner.

For openers, she hasn’t yet taken her first law school class, but she knows she has a job waiting for her at Faruki PLL upon graduation. She is one of two entering School of Law students who have earned full tuition, an annual living expense stipend, and a job following graduation through the Flyer Legal Pathways Program.

In the Marianist tradition, Arabella is focused on serving others, particularly the marginalized and underrepresented. Last summer, she worked as a litigation intern for the Ohio Innocence Project, which offers legal aid to those who present claims of wrongful convictions. As an undergraduate, she lived in a social justice learning-living community, mentored students through the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center (MEC), helped facilitated experiential learning events across campus, and served as president of UD’s chapter of Phi Alpha Delta, the pre-law fraternity. On top of that, she worked as a student ambassador and president’s emissary.

Neither of her parents is an attorney, but they are servant-leaders, too. Turqoise and Gilbert Loera chair the Parent Leadership Council, a group of highly engaged parents who want to be a voice on campus. Their son, Julian, also attended UD.

Beyond a brilliant, articulate student, Arabella is highly motivated, genuine, and humble. I’m eager to see how she will use the power of the law to serve justice — and challenge injustices.

And she will.

(Photo by Briana Snyder, Knack Video+Photo.)