Passion meets purpose: UC grad shares her path to law school

Darwin T. Turner scholar credits cohort, support with success

5 minute read March 20, 2024

Inspired by personal experience with her grandmother’s Alzheimer’s battle, Janice Rotich had planned to study neuroscience in the University of Cincinnati’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Jan Rotich with fellow scholars at Darwin T. Turner Scholars Program End of the Year Ceremony.

Janice Rotich speaks at the Darwin T. Turner Scholars Program end of year ceremony. Photo/Provided

But before she started her freshman year, Rotich was offered financial support through UC’s Darwin T. Turner Scholarship program. Named for the first African American student who, at the age of 16, was the youngest person to graduate from UC, the program offers not only scholarships but a community of scholars who support one another.

"Being an out-of-state student from Texas, I was desperate to find a university that would provide me with a community that I could lean on," Rotich said. "At a ceremony hosted by the Darwin T. Turner Scholarship team, I witnessed the love, joy, and pride that came with being in the Turner Scholar Family. I committed to UC that night."

Choosing UC for its unique offering of political science and the supportive Darwin T. Turner team, Rotich found her home away from home, and found her calling in activism and the legal profession.

Finding community, opportunity

During her undergraduate studies, Rotich bloomed through her academics and extracurricular interests.

Jan Rotich alongside members of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.

Rotich alongside members of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. Photo/Provided

She became a member of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.; assumed the role of senator at-large in student government; served as a planning committee member for the Black Feminist Symposium; chaired the Student Advisory Council for the School of Public & International Affairs; and contributed as a student recruitment and retention ambassador for the Department of Africana Studies. 

“The people, resources and opportunities I’ve met at UC have changed my life for the better,” she says. “I know that my story would not be the same had I ended up at another university.”

Next stop: grad school

Introduced to the 4+1 program, in which students can complete a master's degree in just five years, Rotich recognized the program as the perfect complement to her future in public interest law.

Beginning classes during her senior year, she seamlessly integrated into the Master’s in Public Administration cohort, emphasizing the warmth and support she felt among her classmates. 

I always felt the love and support of every one of my classmates. I truly could not have asked for a better cohort.

Janice Rotich UC College of Arts and Sciences graduate

Rotich said that alongside completing coursework, her greatest accomplishment as a grad student was being the youngest speaker at the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration 2023 Annual Conference, representing UC and MPA students nationwide on a panel discussing "Institutionalized DEIJ Backlash."

The panel emphasized a discourse on navigating academia for individuals with marginalized identities, exploring strategies to foster a more inclusive learning environment for members of marginalized communities. 

Rotich emphasizes the instrumental role of mentors in shaping her journey, particularly professor Lauren Forbes and Brandi Elliott, Executive Director of Identity and Inclusion UC’s Steger Student Life Center. Their belief in her academic abilities led to her appointment to represent UC, SPIA, and MPA students nationwide for the NASPAA panel. 

Experience outside the classroom

Jan alongside peers in front of the Capital Building in Washington D.C.

Rotich alongside fellow internship peers at the Capitol Building in Washington D.C. Photo/Provided

Rotich's diverse range of internship experiences further compliments her commitment to her chosen path.

From working with the U.S. House of Representatives to the Summer Work Experience in Law program and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, each experience has shaped her understanding of politics and advocacy. Notably, her time with the mayor's office in Cincinnati added a layer of realism to her academic journey, she said.

Looking to the future

Full Gallery

Rotich in regalia. Photo/Provided

As a graduate assistant at the Taft Research Center, Rotich continues to apply her skills in real-world settings, building on the foundations laid during her undergraduate and master's studies. 

Next stop: the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a private, ivy-league university, where she has committed to pursue her law degree this fall.

Featured image at top: Jan at the Darwin T. Turner Scholarship End of Year Ceremony. Janice Rotich, second row, third from left. Photo/Provided

By Abbey Willmann

Graduate Assistant, A&S Marketing and Communication

Artscinews@ucmail.uc.edu

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Passion meets purpose: UC grad shares her path to law school