Cecilia Wright spent her holiday season moving to New York where she has accepted a position with the New York City Law Department. She will spend January and February studying for the New York bar as she awaits her district assignment from work. Celcilia took classes during her first and second summers in law school and when she picked up her degree audit in the fall, she discovered that she was in her final semester.

For Cecilia, New York is the latest in what has become a series of upgrades to larger cities. Originally from Columbus, Mississippi (population: 15,000), Cecilia spent her undergraduate years in Tallahassee, where she attended Florida A&M University. After graduating summa cum laude with a bachelor's in English and a minor in Spanish in May 2001, Cecilia enrolled at UM Law the following fall.

Cecilia was a busybody outside the classroom in both undergraduate and law school. At Florida A&M, she worked in the Writing Center, taught GRE prep courses, and was active in drama, dance, pre-law, and the literary guild. At UM Law, she served as president of the Black Law Students Association, was an ambassador for the Recruiting Office, a volunteer for H.O.P.E. (Helping Others through Pro Bono Efforts), and a member of Bar and Gavel. "Getting tapped as a member of Bar and Gavel last year was my proudest moment at UM. Being tapped signifies recognition by your peers that you possess the qualities that best represent the University of Miami School of Law." Cecilia also worked during her second year and in the summers. During the summer of 2003, she was a legal intern for the Third District of Florida Court of Appeals and during her second year and this past summer, she interned with the Public Defender's Office. During the fall semester of her third year she interned in the Civil Division of Miami-Dade County Court and concentrated on her job search.

"Between the student body and the staff, there is a support environment at Miami that I didn't see at other schools. There is an emphasis on student development that extends beyond the classroom. Entering law school without any previous legal experience, I found this holistic approach to be fabulous preparation for my legal career."