Sadei Suarez Blog

Exiting the Comfort Zone
June 1, 2020

There exists no ambiguity that 2020 has proven to be one of the most difficult and worrisome time periods in my lifetime. In addition to the COVID-19 pandemic which caused the world to abruptly come to a pause, my junior year was particularly challenging. There were a number of serious decisions to be made that would impact me for the rest of my life. Not for my mentor, not for my family, not for my friends, but for me.

“It’s okay to be scared. Being scared means you’re about to do something really, really brave” were the words my mentor, the honorable Judge Kathy Delgado told me. I had to declare my major at the start of this school year. Undoubtedly, I knew it would be accounting. The pressure from advisors and mentors within the business school led me to seek out career options within the accounting field. This, however, was an intimidating thought as I aspired to go to law school from the beginning, but all of a sudden, I’m being bombarded with the idea of becoming a CPA. I love accounting and it was a field I wanted to explore; however, I didn’t know if getting an internship with a firm would be the correct plan. What if I changed my mind on law school? What if I lost motivation to go to law school? These were all questions that criss crossed my mind for months. After having dinner with Judge Delgado, she encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and just do it. “You may hate it, you may love it, but regardless, you will learn a lot during the experience,” she said. January 2020, I accepted an offer from a wealth management firm in Denver and I fell in love with it.

Not only did the internship teach me a million different sectors of accounting, but it also proved that I would have no problem intertwining a business degree with a JD. A thought that previously seemed impossible. Stepping out of my comfort zone this year provided immense clarity. I owe it all to the great support team I have in my network who encouraged me to do so. Not only will I be graduating a semester early, I also signed up for the LSAT prep course in June, as well as already having a full-time job offer lined up. Coming out of my comfort zone was scary in the beginning, chaotic in the middle and awesome in the end as in the end, it showed me a whole new world.

Inspired by a Great Mentor
July 2, 2019

The notion of mentoring is ancient. The original mentor was described by Homer as the “wise and trusted counselor”. However, in modern times, the concept of mentoring has found application in virtually every form of learning. Mentoring to me is not only a personal relationship but a professional one as well. In the process of developing myself, as a sophomore at the University of Colorado Boulder, I’ve encountered several people who have made a significant impact on my life. I’ve had a lot of memorable experiences- some good and some bad. Countless times I felt like I was losing myself in the process of trying to find myself. Moments where I took a risk and succeeded, but never without failing first. 

Few students can say they are fortunate enough to be encompassed by communities who care about them and their future. The people who impacted my life notably, not because they were assigned as my mentors, but because they take the time to listen, care and support me to keep pushing through. Because of their significant impact on my life, I learned the importance of relationships, of being able to listen and to support, but also to give pushback and critical feedback when needed. 

Carter Gee-Taylor will never sense the impact he’s made on my life. Through our experience, I learned that a mentorship develops over an extended period of time. During which my needs and Carter’s as well, tended to change. Carter is aware of these changes and the varying degree and type of attention, help, advice, and encouragement that I need. Carter has taken a special interest in helping me develop into a successful professional. 

The power of relationships is characterized by mutual respect, trust, understanding, and empathy. Carter has been able to share life experiences and wisdom, as well as technical expertise. Thankfully through LSSSP, I was granted a mentor whose made an effort to know, accept and respect the goals and interests of mine. 

There’s natural mentoring that goes on in my life every day, but LSSSP will forever remain a major contributor behind my success and achievements. I look forward to the day I can do the same for someone else.

“Sí, Se Puede” is a phrase born of farmworkers, who, under the leadership of the UFW, César Chávez, and Dolores Huerta, fought valiantly for equal protection under the law. As a result of the efforts of the UFW, “Sí, Se Puede” has become well known as a call that engenders hope and inspiration in those who face similar battles. We thank the UFW, whom we acknowledge to be the sole and exclusive owner of the Trademark SI SE PUEDE, for granting us a limited license to use“Sí, Se Puede” in connection with our efforts to recruit, in Colorado, students of Hispanic or Latino descent for our law school pipeline program. For more information about the programs offered by the UFW, please see UFW’s webpage (www.ufw.org); UFW Foundation’s webpage (www.ufwfoundation.org); and UFWF’s immigration services webpage (www.sisepuede.org)