Shannon Thomas
current law student
Hometown: Rockville, Maryland
I am resilient.
I am passionate.
I am focused.
I am a wife, a mom and a weird mix of determined reformer and a goofball. I am also a fighter. My passion is fixing things that are wrong and making sure that when we talk about justice that it is real ; that it is not just the most powerful person getting what they want. I was studying communications at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) around the time that Freddie Gray was killed. I had a history class with many people who lived in the Sandtown -Winchester neighborhood where Freddie Gray lived and died. Being able to witness the affect that this tragedy had on my classmates reignited my desire to make a difference in Baltimore City.
My life’s mission is to constantly question things that don’t seem right, always amplify the voices that aren’t being heard and protect people that are being hurt.
When I was in high school, I told myself that I wanted to do something hard. I either wanted to go to medical school or law school and then life happened, and I started selling myself short. My history professor said to me, “If you really want to make a difference in this city you should go to law school, and you should attend law school at the University of Baltimore.” It took a couple of weeks for my professor to convince me, but I decided to go for it. I learned that UBalt had an early entry program, and the school had a jurisprudence degree program that was a mixture of things that I love. I decided to just go for it and I ended up doing well , so now I am determined to finish law school at UBalt and to stay in Baltimore to do something that is going to make a difference. I have a strong interest in wrongful convictions, law that affects women and children, police reform, and working with people who can’t afford legal representation. I can envision myself working for legal aid or being a public defender.
My life’s mission is to constantly question things that don’t seem right, always amplify the voices that aren’t being heard and protect people that are being hurt. I’m an advocate for anybody that needs one and for any community that feels like they are not being served properly. I try to believe that when the bad things are happening the good things can happen as well, but it is hard when statistics are not in your favor. However, it has made me more determined. Now I feel that the rare, good stuff is also coming my way.