Why one law student chose to call UC "home" again

What makes UC different ?

When it came time to select a law school, Ashley Nkadi, Law ’23, was in the driver’s seat. She had a bachelor’s degree from UC and four additional years of experience in the social justice arena. She was smart and experienced. Law schools beckoned with scholarships and open arms.

“When I applied to law school, I applied all over,” Ashley recalls. “I was offered full rides to schools everywhere. I chose to go to UC because I loved the school that much.”

Ashley’s fondness for UC dates back to her childhood. Her mother worked at UC, and Ashley frequently joined her on her commute from Beavercreek, Ohio, a suburb of Dayton. The family later moved to Tennessee, where Ashley attended high school. But when the time came to apply to college, she says, “I remember loving UC, loving being on campus.”

Ashley applied for admission and was awarded a scholarship that provided full tuition, room and board for her undergraduate studies, and a book stipend. She has been a true Bearcat ever since.

And today, UC’s College of Law has been everything Ashley hoped for. She is currently an intern at a prestigious firm with more than 500 lawyers working across nine states and Washington, D.C. “I didn’t have to go to an Ivy League school to do that,” Ashley says. “But I work alongside people who did.” 

Ashley believes UC provides something that may elude elite private schools. “We get a world-class education while being in a realistic community. We get not only the education component and hands-on learning component, but we also go to school with people of a variety of races and socio-economic statuses.” 

Our scholarships change lives 

I’m fortunate that I do not have a single dollar of student debt from undergraduate or professional school. That will allow me to have freedom and agency when choosing jobs.

Ashley Nkadi '23

Her undergraduate and law school scholarships at UC have freed her to pursue work she enjoys, unburdened by student loans. “I’m fortunate that I do not have a single dollar of student debt from undergraduate or professional school. That will allow me to have freedom and agency when choosing jobs. It also allows me to do things as a young adult that wouldn’t be possible with college debt.”

Ashley is grateful to the donors who support scholarships for students throughout the university. “I thank you for taking a chance on all of us,” she says. “I thank you for spending your hard-earned money on students so that we can find our path, be free to explore and not have to worry about finances while we’re in school.”

She hopes to join a law firm after graduation and eventually become a partner. Long-term, she plans to have her own consulting company that manages inequity issues and also offers legal services. “I hope to bridge all of my passions into a single company that can help big corporations as well as small minority owned businesses,” she says.

To help support Ashley and other Cincinnati Law students like her, please visit the College of Law giving website

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