Little stands in Sabrina Noble Pereira’s way when she sets her sights on a goal.
That perseverance stems from a difficult childhood in India where domestic abuse was common and recourse, particularly for women, was limited.
Motivated in part by a mother who teaches, Sabrina decided a better life was waiting for her elsewhere and that education was the best way to find it.
“Most of the time, women could not do anything with the law, and at that point, I knew I had to do something,” Sabrina said. “The law had so much power and I knew that with my education, if I have a background in it, I can help so many people.”
At 19, Sabrina came to the United States alone. Fueled by her desire to create change where she could, she found a job with a law firm working as a paralegal.
She initially wanted to focus her energy on cases involving domestic abuse but quickly found there are many ways to help others.
“I just realized that helping people, no matter what, is where my passion was,” she said.
That idea has been at the core of everything Sabrina has done since.
Sabrina started her pursuit of a college degree at the Community College of Baltimore County. It was always her plan to transfer to a four-year university before moving on to law school.
She followed through. Sabrina came to UBalt in the fall 2023 semester, enrolling in its B.A. in Legal Studies program and minoring in Business Management. She graduates this month with her bachelor’s degree, and will even serve as class speaker at the ceremony.
Sabrina was accepted to multiple law schools. After much consideration, she chose UBalt School of Law, where she can remain part of the community she’s come to love. She starts this fall.
When Sabrina was deciding where to transfer, UBalt had two key advantages: a full scholarship and a law school with an early entry option.
Over her time at UBalt, she found even more benefits.
Sabrina earned a fellowship with the Schaefer Center for Public Policy’s NextGen Leaders Program. The opportunity put her in line for paid internships with the Comptroller of Maryland, the Baltimore-based Immigration Rescue Committee, the Maryland Insurance Administration and the Maryland Office of the Public Defender.
Selected for an Albrecht Fellowship at the World Trade Center Institute, Sabrina earned "the opportunity of a lifetime" to introduce Gov. Wes Moore at the 2025 Maryland International Business Awards. She shared about her experience with the public defender’s office and interest in law school.
Work in the public sector opened her eyes to not just understand how government operates but who is operating it behind the scenes.
“I feel like it makes you more empathetic. You don't think about money too much, and you're not surrounded by people who think about money a lot. You're surrounded by people who actually want to help,” Sabrina said.
Not one to miss a positive experience, Sabrina balanced her studies and work with her desire to get involved on campus. She ran for and was elected to the Student Government Association as executive vice president.
She served as a peer mentor, helping incoming students get acclimated to their new school, and as president of both the Phi Theta Kappa Alumni chapter and the International Student Association.
Additionally, Sabrina was captain for both of UBalt’s teams in the Ethics Bowl and Mock Trial. She was a member of the University’s College Debates and Discourse Alliance.
During her time with the NextGen Leaders, she served as a national ambassador, which allowed her to attend conferences as UBalt’s representative.
Sabrina has even been selected to participate in three global field studies that swept her abroad to Morocco, Vietnam and Austria.
While it can be challenging to balance everything, Sabrina said, but she doesn’t mind.
“It's really, really tough, but I just know all this is going to be worth it in the end,” she said. “I see my end goal, and that's what I'm working towards. And moreover, I'd be lying if I said getting involved so much at UBalt isn't fun.”
All her efforts, academically and beyond, did prove worthwhile when Sabrina earned a full scholarship to UBalt School of Law through the Fannie Angelos Program for Academic Excellence. The competitive program helps qualified students pay and prepare for law school, including LSAT prep and textbook costs.
“If you get in, you're not paying a single penny, and once you get the score for UBalt law school, you get a full ride for the three years,” Sabrina said.
While all her experiences at UBalt have helped keep Sabrina on her planned path, they also had additional benefits, like making new friends, finding mentors, and building the kind of relationships that just can only happen in a college setting.
“With Dr. Davis, with Dr. Keohane, and all my professors, they constantly try to help me and push me harder,” Sabrina said.
For example, she said, Joshua Davis, an associate professor that Sabrina had for a history class, helped her navigate her law school applications and connected her with people she could talk to about law school.
Both Davis and Dr. Jennifer Keohane, the associate professor who oversees the campus debate organization that Sabrina is part of, offered her recommendation letters for her applications.
In India, she said, it’s common for teachers and students to have strong relationships, and that similarity at UBalt made Sabrina appreciate her time here more.
“That's what the culture of UBalt is; you can have that experience with a professor,” she said.
Poised to begin her law school career and embark on her childhood dream, Sabrina is looking forward to immersing herself in the experience and discovering different aspects of the law to see where she best fits.
She has an idea of where she wants to end up, and she knows she won’t waste a moment getting there.