Building Confidence and Resilience – Danika Ray

“I will be attending Campbell Law School in the fall. My strengths greatly impacted my plans to pursue a career in law. I used my achiever, command, and restorative strengths to develop my skills and become more confident and successful.

I graduated with a double major in international studies and political science. I was initially interested in history and learned about different countries and their cultures, policies, and histories through my international politics and history classes. Thus, I chose to become an international studies major. Soon after I discovered a passion for law, which came after taking the Gender and Violence class here at Meredith that led to me writing my thesis on human trafficking policy. My choice to pursue law stems both from my passion for public service and my interest in international history and policy.

While at Meredith I have participated in a myriad of internships and activities on and off campus, including my internship at the Wake County Public Defender’s Office, working as a research assistant at Kushner and Kushner PC in Charlotte, playing on the basketball and track and field teams here at Meredith, serving as the president of the Asian Studies Club for two years, and also serving as the philanthropy chair for the Pre-Law Club this past year. I was also a member of the SGA Senate and the Meredith Herald staff during my four years here. All of these opportunities helped me develop the experience, skills, and confidence I have in myself and my ability to thrive in law school and my future career.

There are so many great faculty and staff at Meredith. I particularly love the history, political science, and international studies department because of the approachability of all of the faculty. Dr. Manzo and Dr. Martinson are two of the stand-out faculty members for me because of the support they show to all of their students. Both of these professors helped refine my skills and knowledge and have prepared me for my future in law school.

I have two main challenges that I’m proud of having overcome. The first was my fear of public speaking. I overcame this fear through experience and gained confidence in my abilities as a speaker, as well as through my preparation for presentations and speeches. As for the second challenge, I suffered an ACL tear as a freshman during basketball season. I encountered this challenge at the beginning of my college career, and having worked tirelessly, I was able to return stronger and better the next season.

Meredith is such a beautiful place to be and thrive. It was the obvious choice, not only because it provided a quiet place to pursue academic growth, but also because it was a lively college where success was inevitable. I also largely chose Meredith because of sports and the long list of successful alumnae.

Through my time at Meredith, I have learned a ton about myself and my capabilities. Coming into college I was nervous and lacked confidence in my ability to succeed both academically and in my personal life. While my freshman year was rough with COVID regulations, I learned that I am resilient and can teach myself how to get through any assignment or circumstance that comes my way. The experiences I had at Meredith College have taught me that I am capable of getting through anything and succeeding in the process.”