“If someone had told me when I was rejected from many law schools 20 yrs ago that at 41 yrs old I would be in a magazine spread from a Bar Association while still in law school I would have said you were crazy. I only hope my ancestors are proud.” Goodwin shared on Twitter.
Looking back twenty years prior, after graduating college, Goodwin applied to her chosen law schools, but the door was closed severally. However, super determined she kept on pushing and now, fast forward to today, it’s all paid off with her now viral success story inspiring folks from all around world.
The Texas native come June 6 will graduate from Mitchell Hamline School of Law, in St. Paul, Minn..
During her wait after getting nos from her dream schools, Goodwin went ahead to earn a master’s degree as well as build career on Capitol Hill. She also founded the Community Justice Action Fund (CJAF), a gun violence prevention program focused on black communities. In her late 30s, she decided to give law another shot and pursued it.
“My mentality was: I’m going to keep applying places and they have to tell me no,” Goodwin told “Good Morning America.” “I’m not going to call the question on myself. If people tell me no, then that’s on them, and I’ll just keep trying.”
An elated soon to be Law graduate Goodwin recently took to Twitter to celebrate her accomplishment as well as encourage other women to pursue their dreams regardless of their age.
“Sorry not sorry in advance for all the law graduation photos y’all are about to get,” Goodwin wrote, sharing a photo of herself in her cap and gown. “I’m 41, never been married, have no kids, and most days society refuses to celebrate people like me. It’s been a very rough year but this is a bright spot for many of us. It was all worth it.”
Her post instantly went viral and Goodwin was shocked at the outpouring of love and support, “I didn’t expect that anyone outside of my family and friends would actually like it or tweet it.”
“I consider myself brave for going back to law school at 38 and not really going back with a plan of what I would do once I got out of law school,” she said. “A lot of times people, especially women and Black women, are not celebrated while we’re doing things. We’re celebrated maybe when we’ve made it and are winning big cases as an attorney or doing other things like getting married or having kids.”
“And a lot of times things like [graduating law school] aren’t just seen as a win for someone who is 41 years old,'” Goodwin added. “This gave me a sense that people were standing right next to me as I was getting really great news and times when I was maybe not feeling as sure of myself.”
Amazing!
