True Grit

4 first-year students have different stories, similar determination

by Deborah Purnell

BESSIE YOUNG, THE LAW SCHOOL’S FIRST FEMALE GRADUATE, undoubtedly would be proud of the inroads women have made in the legal profession since she graduated 94 years ago. Since that time, when men far outnumbered women in law schools across the country, the number of women enrolled in law schools has grown to match the number of men. At Ole Miss, women make up 49 percent of the fall 2009 first-year law class.

While no one can duplicate Young’s achievement at UM, the women entering UM law school today share her determination, optimism and purpose. In this issue, UM Lawyer profiles four first-year women students whose stories inspire respect and admiration.

Christine’s Story: The Survivor

Bocek admits Hurricane Katrina will stick with her for the rest of her life—and not just for the obvious reasons. Although Bocek was at Ole Miss (where she had just enrolled as a freshman) when the hurricane hit, back in Biloxi her family home and entire community were being swallowed up in as much as 20 feet of water. Nearly 2,000 people lost their lives in the 2005 storm, but Bocek said “I am blessed, and at times humbled, that I did not lose anyone in my family or community to Hurricane Katrina. We lost a house. That’s it.”

Bocek said after the storm she was “freaking out” and trying to find someone, anyone, to drive with her to the coast. “By the next day, I still hadn’t heard from my parents. There were several kids from the coast at Ole Miss who hadn’t heard anything either, so we found comfort in each other,” Bocek said.

When she finally received a call from her parents, Thomas and Julianne, Bocek said her “knees buckled.”

“But my mom was so practical,” Bocek said. “She said, ‘Chrissie, the house is gone, and I need you to pull yourself together and call everyone to let them know we’re OK.’”

At that moment, Bocek realized crying would not help, but action would.

As soon as the coast was declared safe for returning evacuees, Bocek headed south. She made the nearly 12-hour round trip every week for most of her freshman year to help as many people as possible, doing everything from searching for keepsakes in the mud to taking supplies to the Salvation Army.

Bocek’s best friend, Elizabeth Walley (BA 09), made the trip, too, as often as she could.

“We’d only been [at Ole Miss] for five days when the hurricane hit. We were still trying to figure out how to be away from home when Chrissie’s home was destroyed,” Walley said. “It’s amazing to me how she pulled herself together and decided to make the best of this situation.”

Bocek said she’s still amazed at the number of strangers willing to give whatever they had to help others in need.

“It was uplifting to see people who genuinely cared. I felt very privileged to have been a part of that,” Bocek said.

By November, Bocek’s parents were living in a FEMA trailer while refurbishing their new home. By March, the family was able to move into their new home—15 miles north of Biloxi and “nowhere near water,” Bocek said with a laugh.

“We bought new furniture, including a new TV that we’d just plugged in,” she said. “Then we smelled smoke. My brother TJ was upstairs when he heard a cracking noise in the walls. I called 911.”

The Boceks’ new home soon was engulfed in flames.

“My mom and dad were grabbing photo albums and keepsake items we’d just saved from Katrina,” Bocek said. “I stood there with a water hose trying to battle 20-30-foot flames. My heart just sank into my tennis shoes.”

Bocek said it was hard for the family to maintain their optimism after the fire. But that night members of the Heritage United Methodist Church showed up to help—people who were still struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

“Once again complete strangers came with love. People gave up their time to help us pick through burnt things. Churches came from Virginia, Florida and everywhere just to help. We’re still friends with some of these people,” Bocek said.

Bocek held on to her positive attitude even when a tornado ripped the roof off her Oxford apartment during her senior year.

“I could’ve cried. I could’ve yelled. In fact, I still remember being so angry at times,” Bocek said. “But my English professor Ethel Young Minor said something that made me realize how blessed I was. She said, ‘You can be angry at God, but the fist you’re shaking is really, really tiny.’ That stuck with me. So instead of being upset about something you cannot change, it’s better to be positive.”

Despite the disasters, Bocek, a UM Taylor Medalist, completed her undergraduate degree in psychology in spring 2009 and then headed to law school this fall.

“At times, I felt like I’d spent my undergraduate years holding a black cat while walking under a ladder,” Bocek said with a laugh. She always knew she would attend law school, but the decision to go into adoption law was spurred by the “wonderful experiences” she had with her “family of strangers” during Hurricane Katrina.

Ravonda’s Story: Treating Law School Like a Job

After earning her bachelor’s degree in accountancy, she immediately went to work at a subsidiary of Enron in Houston, Texas. After being laid off, she returned to UM to earn a graduate degree in education and then took a position as a second-grade teacher in Tunica County.

“Being a teacher opened my eyes. I cried constantly because I saw many students like me who simply took a wrong turn. They didn’t know about or hadn’t been exposed to the opportunities available for them,” Pitts said.

While Pitts said she really liked being a teacher, she felt she could do more for children by going into law.

“I don’t know what my future holds, but I do know I was meant to be an advocate for children. There’s so much you can’t do as a teacher, but, with a law degree, I’ll be able to do much more.”

Committing to the challenges of law school was not a daunting task for Pitts, who is the mother of 5-year-old Mackenzie, a kindergartner at Bramlett Elementary in Oxford.

“Everyone talks about how hard law school is. I was a bit worried, and then I thought, ‘How hard is it to commit to something you believe in,’” Pitts said.

Pitts said she has always been highly organized, especially when she is determined to succeed.

“I actually spent a year preparing Mackenzie for this change. Even my weekends are organized. I prepare for the next week every Saturday, and I iron everything on Sundays,” she said. “I have my daughter at school by 7:15 a.m., and then I’m off to the law library. I treat law school like a job.”

Pitts said when she gets home it is “mommy time.”

“Mackenzie tells me about her day, and we do homework. I try to do a lot of my studying at the law school so that we can have some type of normal life.”

Pitts said her family has helped her be able to pursue her dream. She is especially thankful for her mom, Mary J. Newson.

“My mom lives in Wyatte, near Holly Springs. When I was preparing for the LSAT, my mom drove to Oxford every week to watch Mackenzie, so I could study,” Pitts said. “That is little more than an hour away, but she never failed to come.”

Newson said she never doubted her daughter would become a lawyer.

“I think Ravonda was about 7 when I first told her she would be a lawyer,” she said. “It was something that was revealed to me very early on. I know she’ll be successful. She’s very organized. In fact, when she was at Ole Miss getting her accountancy degree, I had to make an appointment just to see her. I’m proud to give her the support she needs to go for her dream.”

As a recently elected senator of the Law School Student Body, Pitts is pursuing her dreams to the fullest.

“Right now I’m enjoying every moment. I’m not worrying about my future. I’m committed. I’m determined. And I’m prepared to let God lead me on this journey.”

Joanna’s Story: The 132-pound Marine

But the slim brunette is quick to point out that, although she’s small, she’s tough. “I do have muscles,” the 23-year-old said with pride.

Satcher, who grew up with three brothers—John II, Matt and Josh—said she has never enjoyed the role of the “weak female.” “I love to defy stereotypes, and I like proving the opposite,” said Satcher, the daughter of Charlotte Satcher of Oxford and John Satcher of Laurel.

Proving herself is one reason Satcher joined the Marine Corps right after her sophomore year at Lee University. The second reason is that she loves a challenge.

Her brother Josh, who is in the National Army Guard, claims his baby sister actually joined the Marines to “one up him.”

“Joanna is really competitive. She likes a challenge. I guess it’s because she grew up in a house full of boys. We were a bit concerned when she mentioned joining the Marine Corps, but we also knew she could do it. I wasn’t surprised she graduated No. 2 in her company.”

Being a Marine gives Satcher a chance to combine two aspects of her personality: the intellectual and the physical.

“With some jobs you just use your intellect. In others, it’s purely physical. In the military, you can do both. The Marine Corps just seemed right for me. They have the longest boot camp and the best.”

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in political science in May 2009 at the University of Tennessee, Satcher immediately applied to law school to test her hard-earned military skills—one of which was discipline.

“It just made sense. I knew when I joined I wanted to be an officer. I’m definitely heading for a long military career,” Satcher said. “I feel being a JAG officer or marine attorney beats being a regular attorney any day. Like I said, I like to defy stereotypes.”

Satcher said she came to UM law school because of the personable professors.

“I’m not a worrier, but I was anxious about law school. I’d heard the horror stories about law professors. But when I came to orientation, everyone was so nice. I got pumped up and excited just listening to Ole Miss students talk about their experiences in law school,” Satcher said.

So what is Satcher’s next challenge? Naval Justice School in Newport, R.I.

“I know it will be a challenge, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Erica’s Story: Big Family, Big Expectations

“I have five sisters and two brothers. Sometimes I forget a name now and then,” Rollins admitted with a smile.

The eight siblings are Tasha, 32, Daisy, 25, Aaron, 24, Erica, 23, Francesca, 22, Debbie, 20, April, 19 and Samuel, 16.

Rollins said her dad left the family when the siblings were young. Her mom stepped up to the task of supporting the family, working 10, 12 and sometimes even 20 hours a day as a cosmetologist.

“Our job was to do our very best in school. We owe our mom so much for being education-driven. She expected the best from us, plus a little bit more,” said Rollins, who is married to Joseph Hilliard of Water Valley.

In fact, Rollins said, in her childhood home a “B” was not good enough, especially if mom knew an “A” was possible.

“A ‘C’ would’ve had mom yelling, ‘What letter is this?’” Rollins said, laughing.

Coming from a large family, Rollins said she struggled to be an individual.

“I attended Clinton High School, where teachers expected so much of me. I have the misfortune of coming from a household of valedictorians and salutatorians,” Rollins said. “I guess it could also be considered fortunate because I always strived to do as well or better than my siblings.”

Striving for the best meant Rollins graduated in the top 10 of her high-school class in 2004 and again at Mississippi College in 2009. Her hard work paid off again when she was offered one of UM’s best law scholarships.

Rollins admits it was not just the scholarship that led to her decision to join the Ole Miss family. Her brother Aaron (BA 07, MA 09) had attended Ole Miss.

“Aaron bragged about Ole Miss so much, I knew I wanted to come here,” Rollins said. “It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I love law school. It honestly amazes me because there are so many intelligent people around me. I love that challenge.”

And speaking of challenges, Rollins’ mom, Brenda Rollins, said it has been a pleasure raising eight children.

“I was blessed. I raised them to have respect for others and one another. I raised them to know and understand that they had to work hard for what they wanted,” she said. “I encouraged my children to get their first job at age 15. I think it made them better people. I am so proud of each and every one of my babies.”

Erica Rollins said she and her siblings are proud of their mom. “She has sacrificed so much for us. She’s just starting to live at age 50. I really credit my Mom for making me who I am, and I hope I take just a little bit of her with me everywhere I go.”