Kori Silence ’25 was one of approximately 30 students competitively selected from across the country to take part in the University of Oregon Law School’s LSAC PLUS pre-law summer program this year. Participants engaged in digital legal learning for four weeks and received LSAT and application support and a stipend.
“As an aspiring attorney, I feel immense gratitude for the opportunity I received from the University of Oregon,” Silence said. “My peers and professors challenged me to grow as a legal scholar and advocate. Thanks to the program, I know that a legal career is my end goal.”
She added, “As a queer student from a limited income background, I am excited to be the first in my family to attend law school, and I hope to uplift and amplify marginalized voices in my legal journey.”
Of her studies across the Hollins curriculum, Silence reflected that “theatre has helped me realize the intersections between art and advocacy, especially since law and theatre are both about the stories of people.” She hopes for more opportunities to “continu[e] to tell stories in the courtroom and on the stage.”
Assistant Professor of Political Science and Gender and Women’s Studies and Pre-Law Academic Advisor Courtney Chenette is impressed with Silence’s ability to “translate coursework in Spanish, government, theater, and performance seamlessly into community building and advocacy,” which she witnessed in her U.S. Government classroom and during the sophomore’s first-year January Short Term internship with the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation. Silence researched neighborhood history and supported the organization’s community partnerships with the Roanoke Higher Education Center, Roanoke Public Library, and NewCity Development.
“Professor Chenette has been my cheerleader ever since I happened to meet her during orientation, and I wouldn’t have applied for an internship without her guidance,” Silence noted. Through her J-term in the Roanoke community, she noted that she found “determination to join the changemakers of the future.”
This fall, Silence is serving as a Student Success Leader at Hollins. She mentors Visiting Lecturer in Theatre Ami Trowell’s first-year improv theatre students to inspire their pursuit of similar opportunities.
