- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

First-Generation Student Finds It’s Never Too Late For an Old Dog to Learn New Tricks at College

John Hill — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 13:59:07 +0000

First-generation college student and entrepreneur Steve Foster has worn many different hats in his life – everything from a merchant marine to an owner of a liquor distribution company to a marketing consultant. But the one thing Foster never thought he would be successful at – at least until much later in life – was college. “Being an older, nontraditional student, there may be a story that needs to be told to let others know that it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks,” he said. A native of Pascagoula, Mississippi, the 61-year-old is not only the first person in his family to go to college but also the first born in the United States as his family emigrated from the Cayman Islands. After graduating high school in 1979, he followed his family’s long history of working on the sea. “In my ancestry, all the men went to sea,” Foster said. “I went on ships. I was a captain on tugboats and an officer on ships.” Foster was working as a deck officer on a tanker when the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred on March 24, 1989, spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound that covered 1,300 miles of coastline. He said that the shipping industry was forever changed after the incident, one of the worst oil spills in U.S. history. “The little company I was working for went out of business,” Foster said. “I was one of the first ones laid off because I didn’t have a degree. I was much more expendable not having the education. I took off in another direction and have done lots of things since then.” Losing his job came with a silver lining. Foster moved to his family’s home in the Cayman Islands and was hit with the entrepreneurial bug, running a number of successful businesses. He bought a liquor store, which turned into a multi-island distributorship business. He later became a diving instructor, which grew into a water sports business for fishing and diving excursions. “I even got to work with the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism when they negotiated to buy a Russian destroyer from Cuba,” Foster said. “They sunk the ship to create a new dive site. It was the first Russian warship ever sunk during Russian peace time. Jean-Michel Cousteau even did a documentary on it.” The Cayman Islands bought the abandoned 330-foot Russian destroyer for about $275,000. It was sunk in 1996 to create an artificial reef, an attractive spot for marine life and divers. Foster spent 12 years living and working in the Cayman Islands before he returned to the U.S. without a set plan for the future. When asked about why he chose to settle in Little Rock, Foster will tell you that he stayed because he needed to get his computer fixed. “When I left the islands, I bought an RV and traveled around for about 18 months,” he said. “My laptop broke down on me. Toshiba told me to go to Complete Computing. Little Rock just felt like home, and that is why I stayed. Most people live life in a linear fashion, and that is not me.” Fast forward to 2018 and Foster has decided that now is the time to go after a college degree. He enrolled for one semester at Pulaski Tech and then transferred to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock to complete a bachelor’s degree in applied science with minors in management, applied communication, and nonprofit leadership studies. “One of my biggest reasons to come here was the opportunity to have the nonprofit leadership studies minor,” Foster said. “Dr. Joe Giammo was over that minor. I took a political science class at Pulaski Tech, and Dr. G came over to explain the ballot issues, and I was just enamored with someone who could explain all of it. I talked to him some years ago about the nonprofit leadership studies program. Everything felt serendipitous for me. I’ve been involved in nonprofit work for a number of years, and I wanted to learn how to do it right.” Since graduating from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2020, Foster earned a Master of Public Service from the Clinton School of Public Service this year. He is now completing an MBA with an emphasis in organizational communication at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock that he plans to finish next year. Now the question on everybody’s mind is what Foster is going to do with all his college success, but he’s still on the lookout for the right opportunity. “I’m open to anything,” Foster said. “I did not walk into my education laser focused on what I am going to do. That’s not my story. I am trying to grasp everything that comes along because I want to be in a position to help people. At this point in my life, I want to know how I can be of maximum service. I got an education to help people.” Foster said the message he truly wants to get across in his story is that it’s never too late to earn a college degree, even for a self-described old dog like himself. “I want others to know that it’s never too late to come back if you have a dream,” he said. “I didn’t even consider the meaning behind being a first-generation student to begin with. I didn’t have any concept of what college was truly like and the advantages it gave until I got here on this campus. I started to talk to other first-generation students, and it gave us the opportunity to be in a better position than our parents and those who came before us.”

Drale to Participate in Special International Women’s Day Bridge Builders Conversation

John Hill — Thu, 03 Mar 2022 14:13:18 +0000

University of Arkansas at Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale will take part in a special at 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 8, featuring inspiring women leaders of Arkansas. The program, which is presented by the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton School of Public Service, will feature influential Arkansas women who are leading in business, philanthropy, and higher education, through this period of uncertainty, activism, and change. Drale joined ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in 2006 and served as the associate dean of the College of Professional Studies, associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, interim executive vice chancellor, and provost prior to becoming ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s first female chancellor in 2019. In addition to Chancellor Drale, the program will also feature Victoria DeFrancesco, dean of the Clinton School of Public Service and political analyst for NBC News and Telemundo; Heather Albright, senior vice president and senior relationship manager in middle market at Bank of America; and Sherece West-Scantlebury, president and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. The program will be hosted at the Clinton Presidential Center and will also be livestreamed for those who are unable to join in person. Participants may register for the event and submit questions for the panelists .

Little Rock Congregations Study Dialogue Reveals How Congregations, Nonprofits Can Work Together to Address Community Issues

John Hill — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 14:05:26 +0000

The (LRCS) research team at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock worked with a team of students from the ��Vlog��ý-Clinton School of Public Service to host a series of community dialogue discussions during the spring semester to explore how congregations and nonprofits in Little Rock can come together to make an impact on important community issues. The three community sessions focused on the issues selected as the most important from a survey of nearly 2,300 congregants from 35 places of worship across Little Rock who took part in the 2020 LRCS Survey. Their responses indicated a particular interest among the community on the issues of education, healthcare, and marriage and family. The LRCS is led by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors Rebecca Glazier, Gerald Driskill, and Kirk Leach, in consultation with the project’s Clergy Advisory Board, a group of eight clergy members in Little Rock who advise the Little Rock Congregations Study. The Clinton School of Public Service students who led the community dialogue sessions include Amanda Cady, Layne Coleman, David Lewis, Oluwaseun Olaniyi, and Essence Thomas. More than 30 people attended the community dialogue sessions from congregations and nonprofit organizations. In each session, participants from a wide variety of backgrounds discussed their own experiences with each of these issues and the ways in which they hoped to collaborate for positive change in the community. Through each session, participants identified barriers to collaboration between congregations and nonprofits, including time and money, religious and political differences, historic racial inequities, and resistance to change. They also discussed ways to overcome these barriers, including open communication, targeted efforts within congregations to raise awareness, and most importantly, building connections within the community. In small-group discussions, participants were able to meet community members with shared interest areas and discuss new and current initiatives in areas of education, healthcare, and marriage and family. “We were excited for this opportunity to bring people together, despite the pandemic,” said Glazier, director of the Little Rock Congregations Study. “The research we have done over the past few years has shown that both congregations and nonprofits in our city really have a heart to serve. The more they can connect with one another and find areas of commonality, the more we can make progress on these important issues in our community.”�� In the dialogue on education, participants discussed the history of Little Rock’s education system as well as numerous limitations to education, including racial inequity, poverty, and school funding. Barriers to collaboration were identified as race relations, time, and lack of economic resources.�� Their collaboration ideas to address issues in education include engaging with different congregations through volunteer opportunities, volunteering in mentoring programs for local students, and having individual congregations partner with a local school. In the healthcare session, participants discussed issues impacting healthcare in Little Rock, including equity and access to healthcare, rising costs, and differing priorities. One focus of the discussion included racial disparities in healthcare issues and access to healthcare. Participants were interested in finding ways to connect with organizations and congregations outside of their usual circles to learn about initiatives taking place across the city.�� Their collaborative ideas to address healthcare issues include collaborating to arrange health screening and vaccine clinics, building conscious connections across community groups, and prioritizing empowerment and education around health issues and rights. During the marriage and family session, participants from a wide variety of backgrounds found common ground in the stressors that marriages and families encounter and how to provide empathy and support to families in times of need. When families have a strong support system, they are able to persevere through challenges, which benefits family members and their community.�� Participants also explored ideas for how congregations and nonprofits can collaborate to address issues in marriage and family. Their ideas included mentoring programs for families and couples, providing support for children in foster care and their families, and outreach programs to identify and address issues facing families. “As Clinton School students, this dialogue series was a wonderful learning experience for us,” said Amanda Cady, a graduate student. “These dialogues allowed us to apply the academic skills we’ve learned in our program while connecting with the community. We learned that people in Little Rock truly care about their neighbors and want to work together to improve their community. As aspiring public service providers, this was a great way to learn from residents and give back to the city!” A of the participants found that the dialogue series overwhelmingly helped them become more willing to work through barriers to collaboration between congregations and nonprofits. Across dialogues, data showed that most participants became more willing to collaborate across differences, including religious and political differences. Additionally, all participants reported that they would participate in a similar dialogue event again.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Social Work Month: LaKendra Mackey

John Hill — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 16:26:20 +0000

��Vlog��ý Little Rock is recognizing outstanding social work students in celebration of this March. The next student to be featured in this installment is senior and first-generation college student LaKendra Mackey.�� Tell us a bit about yourself.�� I’m from Texas. I am a mother, veteran, sister, daughter, and various other titles. I love anime, BTS (K-Pop), and Asian dramas. I enjoy trying new foods and learning how to overcome my numerous apprehensions. I joined the BSW program in Fall 2019 and hope to graduate in May 2021 with honors.�� What made you decide to study social work at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock? I have been through some crazy life hardships. At first, I was either in denial or ashamed about the situations I found myself in. I had to humble myself and ask for assistance. I reached out to the Veteran Hospital at Fort Roots, and a social worker asked me, “Why are you here?” I just let it all out. She does not know this, but she saved me that day. She hugged me, and I realized I hadn’t had a hug in so long. My mood changed, and I felt like I could see the sun rising.�� At the Veteran Day Treatment Center in Little Rock, two other social workers have been helpful in my journey with affordable housing. They have been very encouraging in my decision to pursue social work.�� These three ladies always pushed me to go forward. Whenever I became distant, they rallied their resources and made sure to involve me in life again. Because of the struggles I was facing, I realized that there are probably others like me and that I want to help them like I have been receiving help. The whole pay it forward.�� What are your plans after you graduate? I want to get my MSW degree. I have applied for a concurrent degree plan with the Clinton School of Public Service for the . I am still feeling my way around. Whatever avenue I decide on to pursue my MSW, I plan to spend my time learning and exploring all aspects of becoming the best social worker.�� March is Social Work Month, and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) announced that the theme this month is Tell us why you think social workers are essential. Social workers are everywhere. They are deep in the trenches with nurses and doctors. They’re at schools and daycares, at the nursing homes, hospice, hospitals, and other places providing resources and comfort. They are standing on the sidelines voicing their opinions and advocating for people. Social workers are working with the homeless population and giving them the necessities to combat the spread of COVID-19.�� They do this because social workers get the job done. They receive the action plan, and they execute it. Social workers are soldiers for humanities.�� How has studying social work affected you as a person? Social work humbles you to a certain point. I am not so quick to judge people anymore. When I catch myself thinking stereotypically, I am quick to self-reflect and call myself out on the act. Social work makes you aware of the environmental, social, mental health, and financial aspects of a situation.�� Who have been some of your mentors or supporters throughout your time in the program? My family has always been my biggest supporters. My social work classmates have been very involved with cheering me on and demanding I reach for the stars. Vocational rehabilitation, Trio SSS, and SADI have, in their own way, allowed me to taste greatness, and I have acquired a taste for it now.�� Also, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has been very supportive of me as a non-traditional student. I can truthfully say that when I wanted something, they provided me with the resources to thrive.�� What advice do you have for people thinking of majoring in social work? You need to be able just to listen and then, after the session, you write. I feel like I have written about six great works of literature to rival Shakespeare. If you can’t actively listen, this may not be for you. If you detest writing, this is not for you.�� The main question is why do you want to do social work? If the answer is that you enjoy helping people, you don’t need a social work degree to help. Be honest with yourself on why you want to do social work.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Clinton School of Public Service Partner on Concurrent MPS-MSW Degree Program

John Hill — Mon, 01 Mar 2021 21:24:34 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the have announced a partnership on a new concurrent degree program. Students pursuing a Master of Public Service (MPS) at the Clinton School may now earn a concurrent Master of Social Work (MSW) through the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Social Work. “I’m thrilled about the partnership with the School of Social Work,” said Clinton School Academic Dean Susan Hoffpauir, who was once a faculty member in the School of Social Work. “It’s such a perfect fit for students in both programs, and many have already reached out for more information.” The concurrent degree program will allow for cross-credit of specified courses, resulting in a savings in the total number of credit hours that would be required for both degrees if completed separately. A student in the concurrent MPS-MSW program must complete all the requirements for the MSW degree as specified by the School of Social Work and all requirements for the MPS degree as specified by the Clinton School. The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Social Work graduates more social work students than any other social work program in Arkansas. Its MSW program is nationally accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. “I am excited about the opportunity to work with the Clinton School. Students who graduate from the concurrent program will have a unique set of skills that they will bring to their communities,” said Catherine Crisp, associate professor and MSW program coordinator. “I’ve met with several students who are interested in the program, and I am excited to begin working with them.” Questions about the MPS-MSW concurrent program can be emailed to Hoffpauir at��sahoffpauir@clintonschool.uasys.edu or Morgan Leyenberger, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock School of Social Work admissions coordinator, at socialwork@ualr.edu.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Announces Events to Recognize Diversity Month

John Hill — Thu, 25 Feb 2021 18:38:18 +0000

To celebrate Diversity Month, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Diversity Council has scheduled a variety of events set to take place throughout the month of March. Presentations will include discussions on a range of topics, research findings, and historical events. Addressing Microaggressions – Noon, Wednesday, March 3 The Academy for Teaching and Learning Excellence (ATLE) will present this upcoming Lunch and Learn session as an opportunity for faculty to engage in conversations about how to deal with microaggressions in the classroom. Disability and Diversity – Noon, Thursday, March 4 The director for the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Disability Resource Center, Reed Claiborne, will present a discussion on disability and the things that frame perceptions of disabilities such as legal definitions, media portrayals, historical treatments, and more. Anti-Blackness, Social Feelings, and Public Policy: 1964-2020 – 6 p.m. Thursday, March 4 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock English Department’s Cooper Honors Program will present a talk with Dr. Lisa Corrigan, associate professor of communication and director of the Gender Studies program, who will discuss her latest book, “Black Feelings: Race, Affect, and the Long Sixties.” Building Collaborative Relationships to Improve Race Relations – 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 9 A panel of researchers from the Little Rock Congregations Study (LRCS) will discuss findings relevant to race relations from their Fall 2020 survey with 35 community congregations. The panel will consist of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors Gerald Driskill, Rebecca Glazier, and Kirk Leach. In partnership with the Clinton School of Public Service, the panelists will also present a process of facilitating community dialogues on key issues found within their survey results. Modern Warriors of World War I: American Indians in the Great War – Noon, Wednesday, March 10 Presented by Erin Fehr, an archivist with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Sequoyah National Research Center, this event will highlight the sacrifice and bravery of American Indians and Alaska Natives that served in World War I. It will inform audience members about things such as how they used their language to create a code that was never broken by the Germans. The Sequoyah National Research Center created a to identify all 12,000 American Indians that served in World War I, which can be found online as part of the ’s website. New Funds for Minority Businesses in Little Rock – 2 p.m. Thursday, March 11 The Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will present a panel discussion on new funding opportunities available in Little Rock for minority businesses. We Sing! A Celebration of Women’s Heritage – 3 p.m. Sunday, March 14 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Choirs will host a live-streamed performance celebrating Women’s Heritage Month, featuring historically informed music performances, poetry reading, a speaker with commentary on notable women of the suffrage movement, and a special musical oratory presentation with Dr. Linda Holzer and Dr. Yslan Hicks. Putting the Pieces Together: A look at how Universal Design for Learning, Open Educational Resources, and Affordable Learning Content work together to benefit students and faculty – 3 p.m. Monday, March 15 in the Ottenheimer Library Presented by e-Learning Specialist Hannah Hurdle, will discuss the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Open Educational Resources (OER), and Affordable Learning Content (ALC) frameworks for inclusive learning. Entrepreneurship: My Journey into the Unknown – 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 16 Entrepreneurial Education Specialist Pamela Reed, with the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, will present a panel discussion featuring minority entrepreneurs. Connecting & Utilizing Social Media for Each Generation – 1 p.m. Thursday, March 18 Jennifer McDannold, coordinator of student orientation and transitions, will present information about each generation, focusing on social media and marketing tricks as well as best practices for Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z. “This is Not Who We Are:” Discussing Whiteness, Denial, & Division – 10 a.m. Monday, March 29 Laura Casey, a student success coach with the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Student Retention Initiatives (SRI) team, will host a discussion on the experiences of whiteness and confronting denial. She will be utilizing references such as Ibram Kendi’s book “How to Be an Antiracist” in her presentation to unpack what denial mixed with whiteness looks like. Exploring Our Power and Privilege – 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 30 Sharon Downs, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, will present this final event to encourage conversation on the concepts of power and privilege.

Little Rock Congregations Study shows impact of COVID-19 on religious institutions

John Hill — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 23:01:44 +0000

The results of the (LRCS), a research project based at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, shows that COVID-19 had a major impact on religious institutions in Little Rock.�� The study is led by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock professors Rebecca Glazier, Gerald Driskill, and Kirk Leach, in consultation with the project’s Clergy Advisory Board, a group of eight clergy members in Little Rock who advise the Little Rock Congregations Study. The LRCS researchers, including a class of nine students, worked with 35 diverse congregations in Little Rock to survey nearly 2,300 church members in October 2020. The surveys included questions about congregation priorities, physical, mental, and spiritual health, and community issues.�� The Little Rock Congregations Study research team and the Clinton School of Public Service will host three facilitated dialogues this month on the issues survey participants identified as the most important: education (Feb. 11), healthcare (Feb. 18), and marriage and family (Feb. 25). The Covid-19 pandemic was the most common reason provided for why respondents had changed their attendance behavior. Most (71.88%) of the respondents are attending worship services about as often as they were a year ago before Covid-19, but 21 percent say that they are attending less often and nearly 7 percent say that they are attending more often. “Some people are attending more because the pandemic has sparked a greater need for spiritual connection, but many more people are attending less because the pandemic has reduced service times, made in-person services more difficult, or made online services the only option, which some find less appealing,” Glazier said. Churches also found creative solutions, in addition to online services, to hold worship services during the pandemic. Second Baptist Church Downtown, for example, began holding outdoor services at Lake Nixon, where the church hosts a summer camp and preschool. Meanwhile, City of Refuge Community Church held curbside communion in its parking lot, where members could drive up, receive communion and a prayer, and then drive home. “We married the sacred with safety,” Pastor Neal Scroggins said. “Using what the culture had shifted to in order to survive financially, our local churches used the same principle to survive spiritually. It’s the simple things that stand out. Driving a car to our church parking lot, while remaining physically distant, our masked and gloved servers were able to accomplish convenience, community, connection and communion.” At a time when many people are suffering from mental health issues because of the pandemic, the study also found that having a close connection with a worship community and providing service is associated with better mental health. Those congregation members with better mental health also attend worship services more often, have warmer feelings about their congregation, give more hours of service to their community, and give more hours of service to their congregation. Increased spiritually has positive benefits for congregations and also for communities. About 1/3 of the respondents are more deeply spiritual, compared to the rest of the sample. These are people who feel closer to God today than they did a year ago, who regularly feel thankful for their blessings, who regularly experience God’s love, and who often feel a deep sense of spiritual peace.�� “These people are significantly more likely to provide service to their congregation and to attend worship services, a finding we would expect,” Glazier said. “But their spirituality also has positive consequences for the broader community. Deeply spiritual respondents are also more likely to provide service to the community, believe they can make a difference in their community, and be engaged in talking about and helping to solve community issues.”

Race and Religion in Little Rock

Over the past eight years, race relations have increased in importance as a community issue for the clergy in Little Rock. In 2020, 88 percent of responding clergy leaders agree or strongly agree that Little Rock has a problem with racial division, but the vast majority also believes that things will get better. A lower number of congregation members, 77 percent, agree or strongly agree that Little Rock has a problem with racial division. “Talking about issues of race can be difficult, especially in a city like Little Rock, with a living history of racial injustice, but religious leaders have the moral authority to lead these difficult conversations,” Glazier said. “More than any other community issue, people believe their places of worship should be involved in helping to address the issue of race relations.” The study also showed that a majority of church members want their congregations to help solve issues within the community. The top issues that members want their congregations to solve include: race (90%), foster care (86%), marriage/family (85%), prison (81%), inequality (80.5%), health (74.5%), homelessness (67.5%), and crime (60%).

Community Engagement

Churches were found to adapt their ongoing mission work to meet the new needs of the community during COVID-19. St. James United Methodist Church, for example, shifted meals with the homeless to go-to boxes, changed the on-site food pantry to a drive-thru model, brought meals to medical staff at local hospitals, and sewed thousands of facemasks to donate. “There’s a hunger in people to find ways to make a practical difference with their faith,” Reverend Carness Vaughan said. “As our people are getting more deeply connected with Christ, they’re searching for that outlet to exhibit their faith and to live out their faith.” Likewise, the Madina Institute also started a Community Mask Campaign to financially support women who have lost jobs during the pandemic by giving them sewing machines to help stitch facemasks and donating masks to those in need. “Now we are not only helping Muslims and immigrant communities, but we are also providing face masks to several faith communities, nursing homes, and churches whose congregations primarily consist of colored, marginalized or low-income communities in Central Arkansas,” said Sophia Said, founder of the Madina Institute. Jade McCain, a senior political science major from Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was a student researcher working on the 2020 LRCS as part of a class on Religion and Community Engagement, taught by Glazier. As part of the course, Jade McCain researched the differences between religious minorities and majorities in Little Rock. Black Protestant, Muslim, and Jewish congregations are classified as religious minorities, while Mormon, Mainline Protestant, Catholic, and Evangelical congregations are classified as majorities. “Some of my major findings were that the clergy messages from religious minority congregations were focused more on political advocacy and social action, while the clergy messages from religious majority congregations were more focused on the importance of marriage and family,” McCain said. “Religious minority clergy leaders are also more focused on urging members to vote, while religious majority clergy leaders are focused on personal spiritual growth. My overall findings concluded that religious minorities in Little Rock have more progressive views like advocacy while religious majorities in Little Rock are more traditional views like family.” The Little Rock Congregations Study research team is working with a practicum team of five students from the Clinton School of Public Service this spring to host three facilitated dialogues for the community on the issues survey participants identified as the most important: education (Feb. 11), healthcare (Feb. 18), and marriage and family (Feb. 25). These dialogues will bring together congregations and nonprofits to talk about these important community issues and help make connections for collaboration. The discussions will be held virtually, and those interested can. The LRCS Facilitated Dialogue Series will take place: Thursday, Feb. 11, 6-8 p.m., Education Thursday, Feb. 18, 6-8 p.m., Healthcare Thursday, Feb. 25, 6-8 p.m., Marriage and Family For more information about the LRCS, visit or contact Glazier, at raglazier@ualr.edu. The full 2020 Little Rock Congregations Study Executive Report is available .

Wilson is thankful for powerful experiences for future law career

John Hill — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 19:50:05 +0000

Jerome Wilson Jr., of Little Rock, will graduate this month with a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law as well as a Master of Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.�� A military veteran, Wilson decided to enter the joint JD/MPS program after nearly a decade of service in the U.S. Marine Corps. “The joint program is worth it. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of experience,” Wilson said. “When I left the Marine Corps, I knew I wanted to continue my work in public service. I had heard about the Clinton School, and I had an interest in the law. I came and watched Dean John DiPippa’s class at Bowen, and I loved the level of instruction and the interaction with the students.” After completing the bar exam in February, Wilson is planning a career in either criminal law, constitutional law, or program management after gaining valuable experience as an extern with the Little Rock City Attorney’s Office, as a law clerk with the Sixth Judicial District Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, and as a consultant through his International Public Service Project with African Prisons Project. “My experience with the Little Rock City Attorney’s Office was a unique experience for me,” Wilson said. “I got to work with different areas of law, including criminal law, tax law, and municipality law. It was good to see how all the attorneys worked together to provide legal advice for the city of Little Rock.” During his time with the Sixth Judicial District Office, Wilson obtained a Rule XV certificate, which allowed him to practice law under the supervision of a licensed attorney. He also saw how COVID-19 impacted criminal law.�� “I worked in the Pulaski County District Court under two great supervising attorneys,” Wilson said. “I completed a lot of the discovery work and assisted with pleas and arraignments. This happened right as COVID-19 started, and then the court shut down. Once the court opened back up, it was like a waterfall. Things were backed up. We would meet outside the courthouse to discuss potential pleas prior to bringing citizens in front of the judge. It was a great process. I got to see how a prosecutor handles their caseload and how a prosecutor works with public defenders.”�� Through the Clinton School, Wilson completed an International Public Service Project with African Prisons Project, now known as Justice Defenders, in Uganda. The nonprofit organization provides legal education and access to justice in overcrowded Ugandan prisons, where much of the population is poor. They also train prisoners and prison staff on how to be legal advocates as an extension of their legal services. “A big part of why I was there was to do an evaluation of their program and its effectiveness,” Wilson said. “I interviewed all the participants of their programs, interviewed their families, and discussed the effects of incarceration on the prisoners and the family they left behind.” While in Uganda, Wilson interviewed people who were accused of murder, former child soldiers, domestic abuse survivors, and more. He realized that there is a desperate need for access to lawyers and legal knowledge and resources in the Ugandan prison system. “It boils down to need,” Wilson said. “The crimes the organization is willing to defend is vast and varied. It wasn’t about what they did to get in there; it was about giving them the defense they deserve. In Uganda, the courts are overfilled and backed up. There are few attorneys available, especially in the rural areas. People don’t have the representation they need, so they can sit in remand for years. Justice Defenders’ role is to provide people with representation so they can have their cases dismissed if they are innocent or get a fair trial.” Now that he’s graduated, Wilson is thankful for the lessons he learned from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and the Clinton School that have prepared him for a successful law career. “The Clinton School prepares students for careers in the public service world including program management and development, philanthropy, and other areas. Both programs are focused on preparing people through experience,” Wilson said. “At Bowen, they strive to make sure every graduate knows what to expect in the legal profession and how to act as a professional in this career field,” Wilson said. “As you complete your clerkships and experiential course requirements, you see how much of what you learned in the classroom will be used in the real world. You don’t realize how valuable that information is until you are required to recall it in a real-world setting and talk to other attorneys about the basis of a case. The professors and staff at Bowen are preparing students for the bar exam, but also for careers afterward, and you can’t beat that.”

Osaretin will advocate for human rights in future law career

John Hill — Thu, 17 Dec 2020 18:57:17 +0000

Aisosa Osaretin will graduate this month with a Juris Doctor from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law as well as a Master of Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.�� A native of Nigeria, Osaretin moved to Minnesota with her family in 2016. She started law school at Bowen in 2017 and is now one step closer to fulfilling her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer. “I was really happy to be in law school. It felt like the beginning of a dream come true,” Osaretin said. “I always enjoyed reading the cases just to see how the judge would rule. I enjoy the experience of learning new things.” Once she takes the bar exam in February, Osaretin is planning a career in international law and human rights. “I am very interested in human rights on the international scale,” Osaretin said. “I am looking at firms that practice international law in immigration, refugees, and international trade and commerce. My end goal is to work for the United Nations.” Outside of her law career, Osaretin is also advocating for human rights during her reign as Miss Nigeria International. “I won Miss Nigeria International during the holiday break last year,” Osaretin said. “COVID has heavily restricted the duties that I have, but it has made me queen for two years, so I have an opportunity to make a bigger impact. I am advocating for human rights. With the help of my sisters, I am giving health awareness and education to students at the secondary level in Nigeria.” While at Bowen, Osaretin has gained an incredible amount of legal experience. She’s served as a law clerk for Destiny Law Firm, Pulaski County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Sanford Law Firm, and Windstream Communications. This semester, she served as an extern with the Office of Professional Conduct for the Arkansas Supreme Court while also being a law clerk with the Arkansas Department of Health, which has proved to be an interesting experience during a global pandemic. “With the Arkansas Department of Health, I am assisting the attorneys with FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests,” she said. “Lots of people want to know how the department is dealing with COVID. There is a lot of legal research that is related to COVID rules. You have to look at the legal framework to see if the restrictions interfere with any fundamental or constitutional rights. It was a new experience to see the whole side of checks and balances and to see all the stages that a rule has to go through to get approved.” While at Bowen, Osaretin said she learned the value of public service. Her volunteer work has included serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate and a fair housing tester with the Legal Aid Corps of Arkansas. “My entire academic life at Bowen has been a combination of academics and practical knowledge. I’ve been given the opportunity to put into practice the things I’ve learned,” she said. “One thing that is stuck in my head is public service. It can’t be overemphasized. Being a lawyer means giving back to the public. I think it would make me be a better lawyer to know that I am serving other people and not just myself. Having those core values in me will make me a good lawyer.”

Burke named associate editor for AY and AMP

John Hill — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 19:56:25 +0000

Starting a new career is often a hectic, yet rewarding experience, but starting a new career in the middle of a pandemic was something else altogether, according to Madeline Burke, a December 2019 graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Burke, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in international studies and a minor in legal studies, had only been on the job as an editorial intern for About You (AY) and Arkansas Money and Politics (AMP) for a week when the staff began working remotely due to COVID-19. “I have been writing a lot of content for print and online. I’ve been covering the governor’s press conferences every day since the beginning,” Burke said. “Each day is different and comes with a new story. I’m really glad to have this experience and to learn from our writers.” Burke had only worked as an intern for three months when she was promoted to an associate editor in June. Tyler Hale, an online editor at AY Media Group, said Burke has become his “secret weapon” since joining AY and AMP. “She has been instrumental in brainstorming new ideas for content, helping out on both the print and online sides of the magazines, and writing untold numbers of articles,” Hale said. “With our team spread out, she leapt to the occasion, covering all of Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s daily press conferences for AMP. That was a lifesaver!” At AY, Burke covers lifestyle events and issues, while she covers business and politics for AMP. “Publishing is not for the faint-hearted, but Madeline has become a pro in a short amount of time,” Hale said. “She is a valued asset for our editorial team. Whenever I need to get something done efficiently, Madeline is always my ‘go-to.’ Between her strong work ethic and her still-growing talent, Madeline is definitely one to watch!” While Burke is an award-winning legal writer, this is the first time she’s worked as a reporter and is finding the change in writing style interesting. “I like writing and reporting because I think it’s really important to tell stories and inform the public about what is going on around them,” she said. “We try to focus on the good and positive at AY that center on Arkansans and how they are lifting each other up and making a positive contribution. I love learning more about others and what is going on around me.” She’s thankful to her mentors at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Dr. Jessica Scott, and Dr. Simon Hawkins from the Donaghey Scholars Program and Dr. Casey Rockwell, assistant professor of marketing and advertising, for helping her grow as a successful student and writer. “I think I’ve always known that I enjoy writing from the time I started school at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock,” she said. “The Donaghey Scholars Program and the curriculum prepared me to be a good writer. All of their essay-based coursework helped me develop my writing skills and a passion for it.” In the fall, Burke will also attend the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, where she will pursue a Master of Public Service. “I like to consider myself a lifelong learner and take advantage of all the opportunities I have to see where life takes me,” Burke said. “I am taking in my experience at AY and the Clinton School as an experience to grow my skills. No matter what, I want to make a positive impact on others around me.”

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock