Meet Zarina: Choosing Service Through Law

Starting College with a Clear Goal

Zarina entered college with a plan to build a stable future for herself and her family. Advocacy had always mattered to her, and she saw education as the path to both financial security and a career where she could represent people whose voices are often overlooked. Growing up, she experienced poverty and periods of homelessness, which strengthened her resolve to chart a different course. The Dell Scholars program provided financial support that made college possible and allowed her to focus on her studies.

At Spelman College, she became deeply involved in campus life, volunteered in the community, and built strong relationships with mentors and classmates. As a first-generation student, she learned that finding your place in college often means creating it; a lesson she carried into law school.

Building Community for Students

At California Western School of Law, Zarina founded the First-Generation Law Students Association to create a structured network for students entering the legal profession without family experience in the field. The group became a space to exchange resources, ask candid questions, and navigate the profession together.

“Building community is what carried me through,” she says. Creating that space was about ensuring that students like her saw themselves reflected in the legal field and had the tools to succeed.

Following a New Direction with Purpose

Zarina initially planned to pursue public defense. That direction shifted after she attended a regional Black Law Students Association conference and learned about the Judge Advocate General Corps. She later interned at a naval legal office in San Diego, where she gained hands-on experience in military legal service that aligned more closely with her values and interests.

After graduating from law school and passing the California Bar Exam on her first attempt, she plans to join the U.S. Air Force as a judge advocate general this summer.

“Your path may change,” she says. “That flexibility can lead you somewhere even better than you imagined.”