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2015 Dean's Fellows

2015 Dean's Fellows

The University of Dayton School of Law is proud to present the cohort of Dean's Fellows for Summer and Fall 2015.

How can I become a Dean's Fellow?

Kevin Darnell

I am a summer start law student. This is a different and unique experience that the University of Dayton School of Law offers. I have enjoyed my experience here so far, and I attribute some of my success to have a learning community and a Dean’s Fellow to work with me my first semester. This is an experience that not all law schools have, and I feel it is important especially for summer start students. I want to offer the new summer start students the same opportunities that I received from my learning community. Coming to law school I thought I would be an older student, that I would have a different background than many others, and that my previous education might not lend itself to law school. My learning community helped ease these fears. I very quickly learned that I was around the same age as a lot of other students, that another person in my learning community had a similar background, and that my Dean’s Fellow had a similar degree to me. My hope is that I can ease the fears of the incoming students and help them succeed not only in their first semester of law school, but throughout their 2 year journey here at Dayton.

Jacquelyn McTigue

I am extremely honored that I was chosen to serve as a Dean’s Fellow, and I look forward to offering my support and encouragement to the incoming class.  Through my experience here at UDSL, I have found that it is possible to do everything you put your mind to as long as you manage your time properly and surround yourself with individuals that are committed to your success.  I was fortunate enough to have a wealth of knowledge from various individuals prior to coming to law school to prepare me for what I was about to encounter.  I also greatly benefited from the Dean’s Fellow Program as a 1L.  Because of that, I would like to provide that same support to the incoming class to ensure that they have an easy transition and enjoy their first semester at UDSL, as I did.  Without the help of my peers, attorneys in the Dayton Community, and the Dean’s Fellow Program, I would not have been able to achieve all that I have here at UDSL.  I am excited and I am looking forward to providing assistance to those individuals embarking on this exciting journey.  I can’t wait to be a part of their success.

Alexandra Winters

The Dean’s Fellow Program is one of the highlights of a UDSL education, and I am both proud and excited to serve in its ranks.  As a beginning 1L just last year, I came to appreciate how important it is for incoming students to have the support and guidance that the Program provides.  More than that, I came to appreciate how much the Dean’s Fellows can give back to the law school community.  Law school is another world for those who are new to it, but other students who have been through the initials rigors can bridge the gap and make a difference in the transition.  I know I was very fortunate to have a fantastic support system during my first summer semester, and one of the integral people in that system was my Dean’s Fellow.  I am delighted to have the opportunity to assist others in the same way.

Abdullah Adulsalam Alghamdi

I am a L.L.M student. I feel so privileged to be Dean's Fellow at the University of Dayton School of Law.  A Dean's Fellow plays a significant role in building a connection between the incoming students and the law school community. I am excited for this opportunity to provide the knowledge and law school experience. I look forward to assisting first year students especially L.L.M. candidates achieve success. I believe that when I reach my goals, I will be able to do something meaningful for all students. I take that role seriously because I believe it will facilitate overcoming all of the obstacles that may face the students.

Jessica Andress

I am honored to have been afforded the privilege of being a Dean’s Fellow for the 2015-2016 school year. I believe that the unique role of a Dean’s Fellow offers incoming students a support system and a guide to success. The first year of law school presents exceptional challenges that often leave students feeling lost and overwhelmed; I am excited for the opportunity to impart on the new students the skills and knowledge that helped me through these moments during my first year at UDSL.  I look forward to assisting the incoming class as they discover their strengths, overcome their weaknesses and grow as students, leaders and future attorneys. 

Mary Towne Bedard

I am excited and privileged to join the very impressive group of upperclassmen that make up the 2015-2016 Dean’s Fellows. I pursued this role because I am certain it is the best way I can give back to a community that so warmly welcomed me. Before beginning at UDSL, I had been out of an academic setting for over five years. I started a career, got married, traveled, and had my first child. A new beginning was daunting; but for a girl who felt especially comfortable evolving from one soccer roster to another – childhood through college – my Learning Community became my new team. I attribute many of my first year successes to the insight this program afforded me. In turn, over the next few months, I aim to perpetuate the same inclusive, informative, and encouraging environment I experienced. I look forward to celebrating the diverse backgrounds our promising 1Ls bring with them and highlighting the similarities that surface along the way – as we confront their first year of law school together.

Kate Bosomworth

I attribute my positive experience in my first year of law school to an inclusive community of individuals dedicated to active learning and academic support. These learning communities are instrumental in guiding new students to the skills and tools they need to succeed and feel confident in Law School. Coming from an entirely artistic background, I have a unique perspective in approaching a new course of study. I am incredibly excited to return as a Dean’s Fellow this year and help facilitate this learning process. I hope to contribute a wide variety of adaptable learning techniques, unbiased support to students of all backgrounds and abilities, and provide a realistic perspective of success in law school. In the past two years, I have experienced that hard work, resourcefulness, and a positive attitude were keys to my own academic growth and personal happiness. I believe it is important for a Dean’s Fellow to be accessible, supportive and encouraging to my learning community. With that in mind, my goal this year is to support new students in their own academic and personal endeavors so that their first year may be as positive and engaging as possible. 

Ashley Flores
I am thrilled to be afforded the incredible opportunity through the Dean’s Fellows  and Learning Community Program to develop deep, meaningful relationships with both current and future colleagues, as well as local professionals.  I have often observed that in the field of law, relationships can be cast aside in favor of gaining a competitive edge.  However, life has taught me that it is more character-building to humble oneself and to empower others as we all PRACTICExcellence together. It is my belief that a focus on relationships and individuals is just as integral to practicing law as any artificial competitive edge.  In being a Dean’s Fellow, I hope to forge such relationships not only in a mentor capacity to the incoming class, but also as a mentee, learning from my students and distinguished professionals in the field of law.
Marcus Heath

Mentoring and positive encouragement are pivotal for incoming 1L’s. Law school can seem overwhelming at times. Having someone to answer questions, guide you in your law school journey, and provide positive encouragement is absolutely necessary. The Dean’s Fellow program is an essential part of the law school transformation. As a former student-athlete, time management, leadership, work ethic, and motivation have been a part of my life since a young age. These tools will enable me to successfully serve first-year students in the beginning of their law school career. I hope to effectively assist the incoming students in becoming leaders in the local community and to truly embrace the PRACTICExcellence philosophy here at the University of Dayton School of Law. I am most excited about being a leader to the incoming students. Interacting with people has always been one of my strengths and I am excited for the potential opportunity to mentor a fresh group of faces here at the Law School.

Cody Knife

The opportunity to be a Dean’s Fellow is exciting because I came to law school with one goal in mind: to help people. The transition from undergraduate study to law school can be challenging and it is truly an honor to be entrusted with the mentoring of the newest members of our Law School community as they make that transition. Having experienced the difficult transition to law school myself, I can say with certainty that I would not be where I am today without the aid of the faculty, more experienced students, and alumni in this community who have generously and patiently granted me invaluable support both academically and emotionally on numerous occasions during my law school career. It is my fervent hope that I will be able to give back to the community by using my own experiences to ease the transition to law school for our 1L students.

Russell Knowles

I am honored to serve as a Dean’s Fellow for the incoming class of 2018. My role is to help guide the first-year students through the transition from the real world to law school. That transition is not always an easy one, but the learning communities are a good way to meet with your peers and get a better understanding of the topics covered in class or maybe just vent about the difficulties law school poses. However, law school is manageable. This was the phrase instilled in me by my Dean’s Fellow during my 1L orientation. Since then, I have come to realize that this is the most reassuring and accurate phrase for describing law school. As a Dean’s Fellow, I now have the opportunity to instill that same type of reassurance in the incoming class. It allows me to give back to UDSL and make the transition into law school easier for the incoming class. I want to be a resource that the group feels comfortable asking questions to and that they are able to lower their stress levels throughout the first year. I believe being open and honest about the difficulties of law school help to foster a better environment so that the students are not blindsided by the potential dangerous in the first semester and have a proper outlet to speak openly about their struggles. I look forward to a great year, and I wish all of the first-year students’ good luck as they enter the path to their future careers.

Tessa Marsh

A key reason I wanted to pursue a career as an attorney was the ability it would give me to help others and give back. The Dean’s Fellow program allows me to achieve those aspirations within the University of Dayton School of Law community. As a first year law student, the Learning Community provided an outlet for stress, guidance in my studies, and a “big picture” perspective. It is important to give the newest members of the UDSL family the same opportunity to succeed that was afforded to me. While serving in the military, I learned that the true measure of a leader is not individual accolades, but whether they have helped other realize and attain their full potential. I am excited to be a positive influence in a new group of law students reaching their goals. The University of Dayton School of Law and the Dean’s Fellow program exemplifies the motto “Practice Excellence.”

Kathryn Rettich
Success in the legal community depends on having confidence in oneself and having a strong support structure. This is more easily accomplished with the help of mentors. The kindness and support of my mentors helped make me who I am today, and, through the Dean’s Fellows program, I hope to pay that forward. My first year of law school was difficult, as it is for most students, and the mentors in my life helped me reach my goals. Further, my involvement with soccer throughout my life has contributed to my appreciation of teamwork, and the importance of having a strong support system. This is what I want to instill in incoming law students and my fellow classmates.  I am thrilled at the opportunity to mentor and connect with others, while having a positive impact by sharing my life experiences.
Joe Zeis

I am excited and honored to be the Paul McGreal Dean’s Fellow at the University of Dayton School of Law.  As the senior Dean’s Fellow, it is my task to serve the other Dean’s Fellows, as they in-turn, serve new First Year students.  Ultimately, “community and service” is what makes this school and the profession so rewarding.  Service is really the key to the Dean’s Fellow program, and it is in this aspect that the Law School derives its power and success.  As one of the more “senior” students, I have had the privilege of serving in other careers…military, non-profit, and business….and, there is a common thread that at each step, we grow personally in service to the community.  In a very real sense, Leadership becomes indistinguishable from Service.  These years of life experience bring me a perspective on what it takes to succeed here, and what we can each do, as Dean’s Fellows, to help others achieve success.  This is a premier chance to assist new law students, just as others assisted me in transition to the UD Law School environment.  This is PRACTICExcellence in action, and I am proud to be a part of the University of Dayton, the UD School of Law, and a Dean’s Fellow.  Let us all succeed together! 

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