President’s Weekly Messages to Students
Supremely successful!
Monday, April 11, 2022
Dear KCC Students,
Long before she was the first Black woman nominated and appointed to the Supreme Court, Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson knew the career path she would follow. In her high school yearbook, she is quoted as saying that she wanted to go into law and eventually have a judicial appointment.
Despite being told by her high school counselor to set her sights lower, she applied to Harvard University. I can imagine that for a young Ketanji, setting the bar low was extremely difficult because even as a high school student, she set the bar so high for herself. She was the senior class president, and a member of the debate team. She would go on to Harvard and earn both an undergraduate and a law degree. She shared that one day while on campus she was having a bad day and had begun to question whether law school was for her, when out of the blue, a stranger shared some words of encouragement with her. It was just what she needed to hear in order to refocus her efforts. After many years practicing as an attorney and as a judge, she was nominated and was recently appointed as the 115th justice and the 6th woman to serve on the Supreme Court since its founding in 1789.
KCC students, there are three lessons here: First, believe in yourself so much that when someone tells you to set your sights low, you keep forging a path to the top. Second, get ready and stay ready. Take advantage of opportunities to develop, enhance and refine your skills. Join a club, attend an event on campus, explore an internship, or volunteer (if possible) in the field that you want to go into. And last but not least, I know some days might be hard, but know that we are all rooting for your success. This is part of the reason why I write to you every week, because I want you to know that you are in the right place and you have everything it takes to be successful. So go ahead and set your sights high! You are supremely positioned to make all your dreams come true.
Have a great week. Continue to be safe.
President Schrader
