Zachary Wells is in an elite group. The 小蝌蚪APP senior is among just 16 percent of applicants accepted into Columbia Law School小蝌蚪APP檚 fall class. The New York City institution is ranked in the nation小蝌蚪APP檚 top 5 for law studies.
But the road from Wells小蝌蚪APP hometown of Breaux Bridge to the home of the Brooklyn Bridge runs first through the Cajundome.
There, at Spring Commencement on Friday, he小蝌蚪APP檒l simultaneously mark two achievements. At the moment he receives a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in , Wells also will become the first person in his family to graduate from college.
小蝌蚪APP淚 realize how lucky I am,小蝌蚪APP Wells said. 小蝌蚪APP淚 am very thankful. This is definitely not just me. It小蝌蚪APP檚 teachers and professors believing in me, working hard to see me through. It小蝌蚪APP檚 my parents pushing me toward it, constantly reminding me that education is the most important thing you can do. It opens doors that wouldn小蝌蚪APP檛 be open.
小蝌蚪APP淚 am extremely, acutely aware that it wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 just me.小蝌蚪APP
UL Lafayette defines a first-generation student as one whose parents did not pursue or did not complete a degree program. Like Wells, a quarter of the Spring 2019 graduating class qualifies for the designation.
Neither of Wells小蝌蚪APP parents completed high school. His dad was a commercial painter and laborer before becoming a pastor. His mom is a homemaker. Wells said his parents worked hard, so he emulated their examples.
He balanced a rigorous study schedule with off-campus employment 小蝌蚪APP first as a bank teller, then as a runner for a local accounting firm. Earlier this year, he secured an internship in the Lafayette office of Postlethwaite & Netterville.
Thirty hours of prep time for accounting exams weren小蝌蚪APP檛 uncommon, Wells recounted. 小蝌蚪APP淚 would start studying the week before. Do my flashcards and then run through them. I小蝌蚪APP檇 read the book and outline it. Make flashcards from the book. Make flashcards from my notes from the lecture.小蝌蚪APP
But even a wall of flashcards couldn小蝌蚪APP檛 ensure a flawless transcript. He earned a solitary B 小蝌蚪APP in an upper-level accounting course, no less. The B stung, he said. 小蝌蚪APP淚 worked especially hard in that class,小蝌蚪APP Wells recounted. 小蝌蚪APP淥h, well.小蝌蚪APP He still maintained a 3.97 GPA.
Positivity is among Wells小蝌蚪APP most-notable traits, said Chase Edwards, an attorney and assistant professor of law in the . Wells took several courses with Edwards, but the two are connected in another way.
Like Wells, Edwards was the first in his family to go to college. He remembers facing common roadblocks confronted by first-generation students, including self-doubt and an unawareness of resources designed to help him succeed.
小蝌蚪APP淚 was that typical first-generation student who didn小蝌蚪APP檛 know how to reach out to faculty, so I didn小蝌蚪APP檛 really make any connections. Consequently, I missed out on having a mentor, but that小蝌蚪APP檚 exactly the reason I proactively reach out to first-gens in my classroom.小蝌蚪APP
Edwards didn小蝌蚪APP檛 have to reach out to Wells. The student came to him. Then a sophomore, Wells approached Edwards following class one day to discuss a journal article the assistant professor had written. Wells had read the 35,000-word piece, and wanted to talk about it.
As the conversation progressed, Edwards asked Wells what he wanted to do after graduation. Wells answered he was considering law school.
Soon, Edwards brought Wells a second-hand Law School Admissions Test study guide. It is similar to the one he used when he prepared for the LSAT. Over the course of his teaching career, Edwards has purchased more than two dozen copies for students who say they want to pursue a law degree.
小蝌蚪APP淎 lot of times, whenever I小蝌蚪APP檒l buy one of these books for someone, it may be the only time that anybody literally buys into their success. A lot of times, it makes a world of difference for them,小蝌蚪APP Edwards said.
小蝌蚪APP淭here小蝌蚪APP檚 never been anybody I bought that book for who gave up after that.小蝌蚪APP
Wells certainly didn小蝌蚪APP檛. Edwards would see him between classes, sitting in the second-floor atrium in Moody Hall, poring over the guide.
小蝌蚪APP淗e studied, studied, studied. I usually tell someone to expect to take the LSAT twice, but his score came back astronomically high.小蝌蚪APP The highest possible result is 180; the median for first-time test takers is 150. Wells scored 173, 小蝌蚪APP渨hich is just nuts,小蝌蚪APP Edwards said.
The results placed him in the exam小蝌蚪APP檚 99th percentile. Initially, Wells had considered law schools within Louisiana. But his score broadened his options. 小蝌蚪APP淭he world was now his oyster,小蝌蚪APP Edwards said.
Wells applied to the law schools at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, New York and Columbia universities and the 小蝌蚪APP of Chicago, the top 6 schools to study tax law, his intended field.
In early April, he received an acceptance email from Columbia. He read it once, then again. He recalled thinking: 小蝌蚪APP淒id that just happen?小蝌蚪APP He checked the email a third time.
Wells called his parents. 小蝌蚪APP淭hey were dumbfounded. This is an Ivy League law school!小蝌蚪APP
Wells left the next day for Columbia小蝌蚪APP檚 admitted students orientation. When he returned to Lafayette, he had made two decisions.
The first was sartorial. He needed a suit. Edwards took him shopping. They chose a versatile blue one, and a number of shirts and tie combinations to match.
Second, after hearing a speaker at the conference discuss human rights, Wells decided that was the avenue for him rather than tax law. He was interested in such causes before, but the panel convinced him that he 小蝌蚪APP渃ould do more for the world小蝌蚪APP by litigating human rights issues, he said.
Edwards小蝌蚪APP wasn小蝌蚪APP檛 surprised when Wells told him of his new intended path. 小蝌蚪APP淗e小蝌蚪APP檚 the guy you know is always going to make the right decisions. He小蝌蚪APP檚 just a solid person. If my two sons grow up to be like him, I小蝌蚪APP檒l be proud as hell.
小蝌蚪APP淶ach is the clearest proof that I小蝌蚪APP檝e seen that grit and determination can still take you all the way to the top of the ladder.小蝌蚪APP
Photo caption: UL Lafayette accounting graduate Zach Wells in a familiar study spot, Moody Hall小蝌蚪APP檚 second-floor atrium. (Photo credit: Rachel Keyes / 小蝌蚪APP)