Samantha Hildwein was in a difficult stretch of her life when she made a decision that would change everything.
She decided to go to college. Initially, Sam just wanted to show her future niece that they each could do anything despite the challenges they may face. But once she got started, her academic pursuits came to mean even more.
Eighteen years later, as her niece comes of age to follow her own college dreams, Sam is still going, even though she already has four degrees to her name.
After earning an associate degree from the Community College of Baltimore County, she transferred to The University of Baltimore. She’s now earned two bachelor’s degrees—one in government and public policy and one in history—and a Master of Public Administration degree. She’s currently pursuing a M.A. in Legal Studies and still has her eyes set on law school.
“It’s all connected—law, government, public administration, history, they’re all connected—because it all focuses on the past, on the law, and it’s all supposed to help individuals,” she said.
Sam decided early on that she wanted to pursue a law degree. Along the way, though, she kept hitting walls. At one point, her grades weren’t strong enough to go directly into the pre-law program she wanted. She pivoted and found a related pathway that could still push her in the right direction. As she started making good progress, the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Sam has an autoimmune disease that forced her to take extra precautions even as others started resuming pre-pandemic activities. Cut off from her schooling, Sam found other ways to learn.
“The entire time, I was reading history books, writing, and watching history shows,” she said.
It gave her an idea. She decided to put her legal dreams on hold to enroll in a history program. She thought it could give her an even stronger foundation when she finally gets to law school and allowed her to slowly get herself better prepared for the law school admission test.
As she took her history courses, Sam found opportunities outside of the classroom that helped her grow, herself and her social circle. She started volunteering her time with the National Society of Leadership and Success board, the History Club and Student Events Board.
When she neared her graduation for her latest degree, she learned about a graduate assistant role with the Rosenberg Center for Student Engagement and Inclusion. She wasn’t ready to be finished with UBalt, so she applied and enrolled in the legal studies master’s program.
“That’s why I like UBalt so much, because it’s improving me over and over again,” Sam said. “Not only that, but also it’s so diverse. I have met people from different countries, and they’ve become very close friends of mine. Then there’s the professors; they will go above and beyond to help students. And I know this may sound kind of cliché, but it’s more like a family here, and I think that’s what keeps me coming back.”
When Sam first decided to enroll at a community college, she wanted to show her niece to just keep going even when it was hard. In the end, she needed to prove that to herself as well.
Despite all her attempts to take care of herself, Sam at one point during her history program fell severely ill and had to delay that degree. The difficult experience left her more certain than ever, though, that she should one day be a lawyer.
She saw her roundabout journey as an unexpected positive. Her programs feed into each other, helping her see the law and why it matters from a different perspective. The extracurricular activities developed soft skills that she believes will also benefit her future. She’s admittedly a more confident public speaker now.
“What happened in my past may have pushed me off the path, but it still led me to the same thing—wanting to become a lawyer and wanting to do my part to ensure all rights are protected at all costs,” Sam said.
Her advice now, to her niece and anyone pursuing their goals, is to take time to find their passions and then doggedly pursue them.
“Honestly, if you go into a career that you’re not passionate about, you’re going to lose interest in it rather quickly,” she said. “Even if you think it may be something small, it’s going to be worth it because you’re going to be passionate about it. It’s not going to be easy to get there, but if you do the work, you’re going to get there, and you’re going to be able to achieve your good dreams.”