would go next door and drop . She was incredibly strict for that first couple of weeks , with frequent very difficult quizzes . For some reason I stuck with the course and managed to survive those couple of weeks , only to find that the exercise had been to weed out those who weren ’ t serious about the class , and to try to give us a sense for what law school coursework would be like . Prof . Ellis was incredibly kind and thoughtful in the course , the coursework was fascinating ( esoteric then , totally obsolete now ), and indeed very similar to what I would later experience in law school . As we neared the exam , Prof . Ellis invited us to her home for study session that included a spectacular breakfast cooked by her husband . I ultimately received an “ A ” in that course , and felt much more confident that I might be able to succeed in law school having survived Prof . Ellis ’ banking law course .
The final memory I will share is of the Paralegal program ’ s internship requirement . For three credits each student was required to do an internship of some sort during one of the semester breaks . I was very eager to do my internship , and so when I was finally eligible after completing the prerequisites I signed up to intern with what was then the Towson firm of Bodie , Nagle , Dolina , Smith & Hobbs during the January 1996 minimester . It was an incredibly exciting opportunity and introduction to law firm life , and at the conclusion of my internship the firm offered me a part-time position as a paralegal that
I held for the remainder of my time in college and through my first year of law school . In addition to many substantive legal opportunities over those years , and the benefit of studying while also working , during this time I was able to experience essentially every position within a law firm , from running documents back and forth to the copier and the courts , to transcribing dictation , to a research project about the state of public knowledge on the dangers of asbestos exposure during the 1950s and 60s . Since that time I have been continuously employed in a legal capacity , and I credit much of my understanding of running a law firm in my capacity as a managing partner to those formative experiences made possible by my internship .
Justin Towles
Class of 2005
When enrolling at VJC , I was looking to start with a local college experience and transfer after a year or two . However , I quickly fell in love with the welcoming culture of the campus and the hands-on and careerfocused instruction , and I knew pretty early on that I wasn ’ t going anywhere else anytime soon . I was able to get involved in a number of campus clubs and activities , which ended up presenting a way to make a broader impact on the development of the college .
During my first two years , there was a lot of planning for the new campus at Owings Mills . I got heavily involved in that process through the Student Faculty Administration Board and a number of efforts with outside partners and government officials in Annapolis . I felt like I was able to be a part of something brand new for the school and wanted to lean in . I ended up representing VJC as Vice Chair of the Maryland Higher Education Commission ’ s ( MHEC ) Student Advisory Council ( SAC ) and was ultimately appointed by the Governor to serve as the Student Member of MHEC in my senior year . That year students from our college led every statewide student government organization that we were a part of , including Chairing the SAC , Chairing the MICUA Student Council , and having the President of the Maryland Student Legislature .
I ’ d say my favorite part of that experience was getting to represent the students across the state while meeting President Bush when he visited Maryland . I feel lucky to have been able to attend VJC during such a pivotal time leading toward the transition to Stevenson University and the new campus . It ’ s been so much fun watching the school and its students grow and develop so much over the years . I hope to remain active for years to come !
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