Rogers’ interest in law grew during his time at Southwestern.  As a first-year student Rogers started exploring career interests right away after meeting Career Services through his First-Year Seminar class visit.  Taking advantage of self-assessment instruments and one-on-one advising, Rogers learned about possible career options, internships and even graduate school.

“I came to SU as a business major,” he said, “thinking that I would really enjoy these courses.  I was right!  I loved just about every class I took in the business department.  I did not, however, like having to take so many general education courses.  At first, I did not really try and would just shut down in these classes.  Quickly, I realized that I needed to bring a desire to learn and positive attitude to these subjects as well.  And I’m thankful I did, since it was not my business classes, but the other subjects I took (sciences, education, communication) that led me to law school.  Once I opened up my mind to these classes, I was able to explore what really interested me.”

Rogers’ favorite classes included Dr. Don Parks’ Leadership in Organizations and Business Ethics with Dr. Mary Grace Neville.  Taking part in student-led classes and “many great debates” helped prepare Rogers for his law school courses.  He credits both professors, along with Dr. A.J. Senchack, Dr. Ken Roberts and Dr. David Gaines for offering advice, pushing his limits and helping give value to his opinions.

Rogers also took advantage of other Career Services resources, including the annual Etiquette Dinner, job-shadowing through the SU Connections – Metroplex event over winter break one year, meeting with career advisors about resume writing, law internships and the law school application process and taking a free practice LSAT, sponsored by Career Services and administered by Kaplan.

“Even if you are not job/internship hunting, Career Services is a great resource,” Rogers said. “While I was applying to law school, their help in building an academic resume was invaluable. Also, events like the Etiquette Dinner are both fun and useful.  I went with friends and got some good food – now this simple event is paying big dividends at law firm receptions, lunch interviews and, really, any event where I’m interacting with others.

Rogers’ work experience, volunteerism and extracurricular activities offered additional self-discovery and skill-building opportunities.

“I worked for Procter & Gamble as a merchandiser in the DFW area through a family connection for the majority of my free time from SU, where I applied the business knowledge I gained in the classroom,” Rogers stated.  “I also had a very rewarding experience working as a staff supervisor for Operation Achievement.  I have a passion for helping kids and got a great sense of fulfillment from seeing the progress of the students.

“The most challenging activity I engaged in was baseball.  I enjoyed playing for the Pirates for three years, and it helped me learn how to budget time.  The most influential activity was the Financial Analyst Program.  The material I learned there was some of the most complex, and investing real money for the SU endowment really makes you want to do well.”

Rogers also participated in Student Congress, which showed him how a large organization works, on the Business Ethics debate team, where he practiced identifying issues and doing good analysis and in Phi Delta Theta, which he credits with helping him make the most connections out of any activity.

“I made some of my best friends through my fraternity,” Rogers said.  “Developing these social skills was great for adapting to the new people and situations in law school.”

This summer, Rogers hopes to complete a judicial internship or work in the non-profit sector before studying abroad at Oxford University in England.  Next summer he hopes to clerk for a large law firm.