From the Single Mom's Law School Experience, then "Almost Attorney" to FINALLY an Esquire!: POLE Gems

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

POLE Gems

For the last year I have kept busy by serving as Vice Chair, with a recent promotion to Chairperson of the Board for the nonprofit POLE Gems. POLE stands for Purposed, Original, Loved, Empowered. This is an organization doing some amazingly awesome things in the city of Salem. Our purpose is to reach sex industry workers -- those that society overlooks and even forgets about -- in order to show these men and women that they are LOVED and VALUED by someone.

This has been an amazing journey of ups and downs this past year as we have started up and worked to stay afloat. I have learned a ton about starting a nonprofit, of running one, and generally how to deal with diverse personalities.

Why post this on this legal blog? Because my legal education has helped me be qualified to fill this position. I think this is an area that we laywers can easily "give" back and it doesn't cost a dime, just a bit of time.

Oh, and because these programs are important. In my state, Portland is the #1 hub of sex trafficking in the United States. It's time to raise awareness.

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FAQ

Lots of people ask me: how do you do it? How do you attend law school and raise a child alone? My answer is simply that you prioritize. You approach school as an 8 to 5 job. I take Friday evenings and Saturday's off. Study a bit on Sundays. For me this works. It means not being a part of the "social" things at school, and that time between your classes is in the library studying. But that's okay. You will have different goals then the students who are single with no children.

How do you afford it? Student loans........yes, you heard me. My reasoning is that my earning capacity will double, but likely triple, which means that I can afford to take on the debt to pay for a better future for my daughter and I.

Does you daughter resent you studying? No. Sometimes she gets frustrated, but she really does understand the bigger picture. She is my biggest supporter. I have learned to include her by taking her to class with me when I can, by having her help me study with flash cards, and by taking her to appropriate events at school. In fact, I did an incoming student panel one year, and the administration of the school had her speak as well. We are a team, and that includes this journey.