colin powell school
SHILPA SHAJU,
a Colin Powell School Graduate, Named CCNY Salutatorian
Where are you from? Please share a little of your story.
My parents immigrated to the US from Kerala, India. They then settled in Queens, New York and later moved to New Hyde Park on Long Island. I grew up in New Hyde Park and attended middle school and high school there. I would say I grew up in a pretty homogenous town, considering that most of my graduating class was either
South Asian or white. I really only understood what true diversity looked like when I arrived here at CCNY.
Growing up, I was an extremely shy kid and was not talkative at all. I categorized public speaking as my worst nightmare to say the least. However, my sister persuaded me to join the Model United Nations club in high school and it truly shaped me into who I am. I found my voice in that classroom and learned about people, places, and issues that were beyond the boundaries of New Hyde Park. I would say my experience as a delegate sparked my interest in the law.
2. What brought you to City College?
My family experienced some financial problems at the time I was graduating from high school. There were complications with my father’s job and my mother suffered from a stroke, leaving her unable to work. I knew that I needed to attend an institution that would be affordable and attentive to my aspirations. I realized that the Macaulay Honors College was the perfect fit for me. It allowed me to pursue a degree without financially draining me, and CCNY had all of the programs and classes I needed to pursue a career in law. For instance, I realized the Skadden, Arps Honors Program in Legal Studies would guide me as a first-generation student to law school, a higher education institution often reserved for the privileged.
3. What is your passion or purpose behind pursuing what you did at City College?
I studied International Studies, Political Science, and Legal Studies during my time here at CCNY. The combination of these perfectly prepared me for a career in immigration law. I first became passionate about immigration law specifically when I started to work at The Law Firm of Moumita Rahman. Mo is my mentor and she walked me through how complicated and at times unfair our current immigration legal system can be. I had the opportunity to interview clients, write briefs and affidavits, and communicate with several immigration agencies. Completing all of these duties
taught me how broken our immigration system is. We demand Violence Against Women’s Act and asylum applicants to recount their stories with such precision and detail, even though they experienced a monstrosity of trauma. We keep children and families in cages. We deport those who have lived and paid taxes in this country for decades. We treat immigrants frankly as criminals. I knew from both my work and academic experiences then that I wanted to become a lawyer. I want to guide immigrants through the daunting legal system and advocate for changing the way the
immigration process works.
4. How did City College and the Colin Powell School help you in your career?
The Colin Powell School has been crucial to my prospective career in law. The support that I have received as a Skadden Scholar cannot be fully captured. The Skadden program gave me the opportunity to attend free LSAT classes, receive one-on-one advising for all of my law school materials, and take classes that prepared me for my career. I can wholeheartedly say that I would not have been accepted to UC Hastings Law School without the support of the faculty, like Professor Light and Ms. Mona Schnitzler.
5. Please tell us about a significant memory or accomplishment from your time at City College.
I consider the Macaulay Pre-Law club to be my most memorable accomplishment for the greater CUNY student body. I served as president for almost two years and in that time my board and I were able to exponentially increase our membership. This meant that more CUNY students had access to lawyer alumni, LSAT resources, and a space to collaborate and learn about the law. The club further has a history of inactiveness and I am proud to pass on a robust and very enthusiastic organization to the new leaders.
6. Do you have any advice you could give to current or future students?
Take a personal day here and there. It is better to rest than fail from overexertion.
Understand that it is more than perfectly normal to initially be uncertain what you want to study. It is okay to change your major. It is okay to switch your career path.
Study what you want to. The input of others can only get you so far.
Participate in clubs to surround yourself with those who share your passions.
Find a mentor in the field that you are interested in. They will open doors for you that you probably do not even know of.
Connect with your professors. They are there to help you.
Connect with your peers! They are your network!
Do not compare yourself to your peers. You are yourself, something no one can be. You earned your spot here at CCNY just like everyone else.