Aashiq Jivani - Stanford Law School Diversity Statement Whereas most of the students of Stanford Law School hail from families with decorated educational backgrounds, I am one of the eleven-thousand first-generation students currently enrolled at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). While obtaining a degree as a first-generation student is undoubtedly an impressive achievement, the campaign to do so does not come without its own set of challenges. First-generation students are not exposed to any parental advice on how to navigate through the unanticipated academic, social, and emotional trials that they encounter in college. As a result, these students are thirty-five percent less likely to graduate than continuing-generation students. In the Fall 2016 semester, as a student who had felt the impact of these disadvantages first hand, I …show more content…
As a Program Administrator for the Ismaili Volunteer Corporation (IIVC), I have had the opportunity to lead weekly auctions and partake in regular trips to the San Antonio Food Bank that have significantly honed my problem solving, public speaking, time management, and critical thinking skills. Furthermore, my off-campus involvement as a student teacher for Junior Achievement of South Texas has allowed me the opportunity to collaborate with a number of individuals who have different cultures, religions, and sexual orientations than I do. The relationships that I have formed with these individuals has enabled me to become more adept in understanding their feelings and thoughts and has given me the ability to give them a voice in imperative social debates when they are not around. I expect that this added voice will increase the level of rigor and responsibility that is felt in every class, organization, and discussion that I participate in at Stanford Law