Anna Cheng, Paralegal student

Some students come to school with concrete ideas of what they would like to do with a career in law; but many do not. Some are passionate about particular issues; others are not. Paralegal student Anna Cheng is happy to have found a program of study that has the right kind of work and the right kind of substance. The Easton native, who has a BA in history from the University of Pittsburgh and has also studied at Widener University, decided to return to paralegal studies at Northampton because she saw it as the best path to achieving her career goals.

"I wasn't totally sure about law school, and the paralegal program here includes a little bit of everything that I wanted to study about law," Cheng acknowledges. "Some things have been a refresher for me, but my classmates may be having a different experience," the second-year student admits. "People have different ideas about what they want to do and their area of concentration."

Though some students who enter into legal programs may be influenced by the way that legal careers are portrayed in the media, Cheng has kept a clear perspective of the type of career that she's getting into. She's always had a natural interest in law, and grew up reading books that plotted out a clear picture of right vs. wrong.

"I knew that I wanted a career where I could fight for something that I believe in," says Cheng. "That's what drew me to law."

Cheng appreciates the time and effort that her professors put not only into the curriculum, but also into the assistance that they provide to the paralegal students. She says that she's getting a better grasp on the material presented to her here, and that her professors give students the time to analyze concepts that they may not understand at first.

As a third-semester student, Cheng is looking forward to fulfilling the required student internship this spring. Following her graduation from NCC, she hopes to pursue a legal career in the Washington, D.C. area.

"I might choose to focus on civil litigation, or maybe criminal," Cheng says. "But right now, I'm up for anything!"