Beginning my journey in H200, I entered the Honors College with a sense of curiosity and ambition, eager to explore interdisciplinary knowledge and develop a rigorous academic foundation. I joined during my sophomore year, which was already challenging as we were all transitioning from COVID-19 policies to what people would call a ‘normal college experience.’ Yet, the transition from H200 to my final year has been transformative, as each experience and artifact I selected represents growth in both my skills and perspectives.

In my Spring 2023 internship at Bose McKinney & Evans, I was introduced to the practicalities of working in a professional environment, managing confidential client files and legal documents while developing accuracy, confidentiality, and ethical responsibility skills. This role provided a firsthand look at the nuances of legal work while highlighting the importance of meticulous attention to detail and strict adherence to privacy regulations. These were new responsibilities that, over time, shaped my understanding of the ethical dimensions of legal practice and heightened my interest in a legal career. The experience taught me the importance of upholding integrity within professional boundaries, aligning with the Honors College’s learning goal of fostering ethical and critical thinking in real-world contexts. I’m so glad this internship has been extended throughout my college experience. I will forever be indebted to them because this experience gave me a newfound perspective on merging my love for technology and law.

By Fall 2023, during my Capstone Internship, a continuation of my internship at Bose McKinney & Evans,  I transitioned to a role that allowed me to apply technical knowledge from my Informatics major in a UX/UI redesign project for the firm. Shifting my focus from administrative duties to user-centered design demonstrated my adaptability and technical application growth. I undertook usability research, incorporating user feedback into actionable design improvements to enhance the website, aligning with the firm’s professional identity and clients' needs. This experience taught me to blend creativity with functionality, progressing from H200, where I began exploring theoretical knowledge, to applying it with tangible impact. UX/UI design is something that I always imagined myself doing post-graduation if I had continued on this path. However, the ability to work with exceptional attorneys and legal professionals across the whole spectrum opened my eyes to new heights.

The culmination of my Honors College journey was my Spring 2024 research on immigration non-compliance in Texas as part of my POLS-Y 306 course. This project significantly transformed my analytical skills as I examined state ideology, party systems, and the political dynamics of policy decisions. Here, I combined political science and legal studies in an in-depth 21-page case study, gaining insights into how ideological beliefs influence the practical application of law. This experience highlighted my growth in conducting interdisciplinary research, reinforcing my interest in law while demonstrating how complex political and legal issues impact communities—a perspective I did not fully appreciate at the start of my Honors experience. Connecting this to my overall leadership and volunteering positions as a campaign intern during the 2022 elections gave me insights into the overall practicality of how research can impact how we communicate with constituents and the public about public policy issues.

The selected artifacts comprehensively represent my learning, growth, and evolving perspective as an Honors College graduate. Each artifact underscores a different dimension of my academic and professional development, from practical skills in administrative work to complex analytical abilities in policy research. Through my Spring 2023 internship at Bose McKinney & Evans, I strengthened my organizational and ethical foundations, becoming proficient in managing client confidentiality and accuracy. I worked alongside various practice groups such as Estate Planning, Trusts and Wills, Immigration, and Gaming. Closely working with the Estate Planning practice group and the keeper of various critical files for clients, this was a crucial process that allowed for the attorney and the legal administrative assistant to do their work. These skills reflect the Honors College’s learning goal of moral responsibility, showing that my early experiences laid the groundwork for understanding legal and data privacy standards.

During my Fall 2023 Capstone Internship, I progressed to more technical applications, such as conducting a UX/UI redesign to improve user experience on the firm’s website. This artifact highlights my ability to apply theoretical knowledge from my Informatics studies to real-world challenges. Working with Figma, a designing platform that is based online and widely used by industry professionals was a learning curve that I had an enjoyable time doing. The Honors College encourages practical, interdisciplinary learning, and this project embodies that goal by blending technical design skills with user-centered research, resulting in a website interface that meets professional and client expectations. 

My final artifact, Spring 2024’s research on immigration non-compliance in Texas, represents the culmination of my analytical skills and deepened commitment to understanding policy impact on communities. Through this project, I gained insights into how state ideology and political dynamics drive policy decisions, a complex analysis that required interdisciplinary thinking, and a strong understanding of political theory and legal frameworks. My honors coursework, influenced by theorists, community leaders, and professors, enriched my ability to analyze state-level politics and policy decisions. Each artifact connects to the interdisciplinary, ethical, and community-focused learning goals the Honors College prioritizes, reflecting my growth from foundational skills to advanced, impactful applications.

My journey toward a legal career, especially in intellectual property law, began before college when I initially started my internship at Bose McKinney & Evans. Although it wasn’t formally classified for credit until the following spring, this early exposure laid the groundwork for my commitment to the legal field. Starting before many of my peers allowed me to develop foundational skills in managing confidential documents and understanding the ethical demands of legal work early on. Working across various practice groups, I learned to handle sensitive client information, building a solid moral and organizational framework essential to my academic and professional growth.

In Spring 2023, when the internship became part of my academic journey, I continued refining these skills, fully realizing the value of accuracy and confidentiality in the legal process. Working with various client management systems and taking on responsibilities as one of the key individuals in the File Group, I grew to love my work. By Fall 2023, as my role evolved, I shifted from administrative responsibilities to leading a UX/UI redesign project for the firm’s website, applying my technical knowledge from Informatics to meet client needs. Conducting usability research and implementing user-centered improvements connected my technical skills to the practical needs of legal clients. This experience directly relates to IP law, where technological innovation often intersects with legal protection.

This early start and sustained internship experience have been instrumental in solidifying my interest in law, particularly in IP. From managing sensitive information to implementing client-centered design improvements, I have developed a unique blend of ethical insight and technical expertise that I am eager to bring to law school and, eventually, to a career in intellectual property. I am excited for the opportunity to have worked with some incredible legal professionals and with the honors college in mind throughout the process of becoming a well-rounded student.

This learning journey has been transformative, preparing me for the exciting next steps in my legal career as I approach graduation in December. Each experience, from my foundational internship at Bose McKinney & Evans to my deep dive into policy analysis in my Spring 2024 research, has equipped me with practical skills, ethical insight, and the ability to think critically in high-stakes environments. These skills will be invaluable as I step into my role as a Bose Public Affairs intern, where I’ll work closely with lobbyists and clients throughout Indiana's 2024-2025 legislative session.

The knowledge I gained about client confidentiality and data accuracy at Bose McKinney & Evans has given me a firm grounding in the values essential to law. My UX/UI project taught me how to shape solutions around client needs. These critical insights will help me support clients effectively in public affairs. Analyzing state politics in my immigration project has deepened my understanding of policy’s real-world impact, making me even more driven to approach lobbying with a perspective grounded in legal knowledge and community awareness. I’m stepping forward with a degree and experiences that have sharpened my commitment to law, advocacy, and ethical impact. I'm excited to carry these lessons into the legislative session and beyond, potentially in law school.