Junior Samantha Wise went to Stanford to study law. However, it was not for college, but to work over the summer with lawyers and judges. 

Wise went with a program called Envision by World Strides. There, they focused mainly on criminal law and learning about the stages of prosecution. During their ten days, they worked toward the end goal of a mock trial. The students were talked to by lawyers and learned about the previous cases they had worked on. 

“The mock trial really brought the whole firm together because we were split against other firms. So, that really helped us get to know each other,” Wise said. Though, Wise didn’t get there on her own. 

“I realized English was not for me, and then Mr. Pratt offered Envision,” Wise said about learning of the program.   

Also, while in teacher Stephan Pratt’s class, Wise realized she was interested in CSI and criminology work, which led her to want to study criminology in college. She first realized she would be interested in the criminal law field in the eighth grade.  

“We were working 16 hours days, almost like, wake up at five to six, and then we wouldn’t go back to our dorms until 10:00 p.m.,” Wise said about her Stanford experience. Her stay at Standford was said to be extremely interesting due to the long hours. In their off time, they went to Pier 39 and were constantly ordering DoorDash due to the less-than-great food.   

However, that was her one complaint, and she had a fantastic time. She loved getting to meet friends and make forever connections. During this time, she realized even more that criminal law is what she wants to pursue and loves the puzzles it brings. Her trip brought her that much closer to her dreams.    

“It was enjoyable. I met so many nice people…I love them all,” Wise said.