THE FACES OF COLUMBIA LAW PROJECT
The idea for "Faces of Columbia Law" came to me in the Winter of 2016 when I realized I only had one semester left in New York.
I felt that a lot of my interactions with people were surface-level—never managing to break through the superficial outer-layer. As someone who thrives off of genuine connections, the law school experience can sometimes feel alienating. Being in a highly competitive environment, where you’re made to feel as if your performance in school is the only thing that matters, is difficult.
I decided to take action to address this gap and turn a negative into a positive. Inspired by Humans of New York, I had a series of conversations with students at the law school where I prepared questions that prompted exchanges I typically didn't have in my day-to-day social interactions. As an amateur photographer, I also took this opportunity to improve my skills. The goal of the conversations was not to evoke any particular emotion but rather to learn more about the diversity of people who attend the law school, and to shatter the glass—move beyond surface-level.
Some of the faces you will be introduced to were strangers, some acquaintances I got to know better through the process, some I had class with, and some were my friends.
Every single one of these conversations brought me so much joy, and I'm so grateful for my colleagues' participation because I achieved my goal. I will leave Columbia having genuinely connected with the amazing people around me.
Special thank you to Amelie Nkodo, Rebecca Nocharli, Kelly Holloway and Emi Lawson for believing in and pushing me to complete this project. Their creative support was essential to the project's success.
Yours,