Salevan Said
Salevan Said
"Student Law Academy is what solidified seeing myself as a lawyer."Salevan Said, UMKC 3+3 Bachelor's + JD Program
From Curiosity to Career Ambition
When Salevan first signed up for the Business & Finance Institute (BFI), he wasn't thinking long-term. "Just a thing after school — something for fun," he admitted. But that casual interest quickly turned into something more profound. "Even if I did take it sort of as a thing to get out of class at the start, it is something that I did grow to love doing," Salevan said. "Not only because of what it taught me, but also because of what I experienced."
BFI gave Salevan the skills to thrive in professional settings. "BFI helped me learn how to talk to people professionally," he explained.
Relationships That Open Doors
A BFI field trip to UMKC turned into something life-changing. Salevan met Dr. Jocelyn Evans, director of the university's Banking Leaders of Tomorrow program. That introduction led to his acceptance into the program and a mentorship with KeyBank. "That connection changed everything," he said. "It got me thinking seriously about banking law."
Salevan's experience in the Student Law Academy also provided him with a preview of the work ahead in college and law school. His favorite SLA experience was analyzing the famous Tinker V. Des Moines Supreme Court case. While it was a lot of work, Salevan noted that engaging in the case study was "extremely fun and fascinating."
A Head Start on Higher Education
Now that he is preparing to start college, Salevan reflects on the programs that helped him get to this point. "I'm so thankful I went through with them," he said. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be where I am today." While exploring career options, Salevan earned more than 16 hours of college credit through dual-enrollment courses.
This Market Value Asset gave him a head start and helped him gain admission to UMKC's 3+3 law program. Salevan is on track to graduate with a bachelor's and a law degree in six years.
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