For Ny, the journey from high school, to college, to law school was shaped by a series of defining moments. Some were major milestones: a college acceptance, a full-ride scholarship, studying abroad, joining law review, graduating with distinction, and becoming one of only six students selected for a law program in London.
Others were much quieter.
A coach who encouraged her to reach higher. A missed deadline that someone told her not to give up on. A professor who said yes. A mother who reminded her, “You can do it.” Together, these moments changed what Ny believed was possible for herself, and others.
Learning to Reach
At Ny’s high school, college was the expectation. The question was not, “Are you going?” but, “Where are you going?” Ny was thinking beyond familiar choices. She dreamed of attending an HBCU, particularly Howard University, while also considering highly selective universities such as UCLA and Duke. Her aspirations were big, and she needed support.
That is when College Possible became an important part of her story.
Ny’s College Possible coach encouraged her to reach beyond what was immediately familiar—to explore possibilities, ask questions and approach the college process with confidence. Ny learned how to advocate for the future she envisioned, even when she hit roadblocks.
The Door She Almost Missed
Ny initially missed the application deadline for the Pre-Law Academy at her high school. It would have been easy to assume the opportunity was gone. Instead, she was encouraged to try anyway. She did, and she was accepted.
Ny found the extracurricular to be, “super-enriching.” She learned how to navigate business environments and communicate professionally. She also received a pocket Constitution that has stayed with her and reminds her to keep trying and believe in herself.
An Opportunity Beyond Her Dreams
When she was accepted to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, her advisor helped her look beyond the excitement of an acceptance letter and consider what college would truly mean, including the cost. Then came the Susan Thompson Buffett Scholarship: a full-ride opportunity that changed what college could look like for her.
Ny recognized the extraordinary opportunity in front of her. And she said yes.
Finding a Place to Catch Up
College was exciting, but it also brought an unexpected realization. As a first-generation college student, Ny often felt like she was behind. Beyond classes, there were internships, scholarships, applications and deadlines. She did not always know what questions to ask or where to begin.
Ny describes the feeling as, “always running to catch up.”
College Possible gave her a place to catch up.
Through advising and community, she found other students navigating many of the same experiences. Ny had a safe place to ask questions, acknowledge what she did not know and learn that asking for help was not a weakness—it was a way forward. College Possible helped turn complicated information into something she could understand and act on. More importantly, it helped build her confidence.
Ny began to see herself as someone capable asking for help, finding information and taking advantage of opportunities.
Her newfound confidence would show up again and again.
Making Room to Become
Another opportunity came through dual enrollment. Because her school district paid for her college coursework, Ny entered the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with 32 college credits. Those credits eventually gave her something she came to value deeply: room to breathe. By her junior and senior years, she could take 12 credits at a time while pursuing other experiences. She did not have to spend every semester simply completing the next requirement.
She had room to explore. And she did.
She studied abroad in Bahia, Brazil, taking a course on race, culture and families. She pursued externships with the Tenant Assistance Project, the Nebraska State Bar Association’s eviction work and the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center. She became involved in campus organizations and stepped into leadership. The more opportunities she experienced, the more she began to understand what she could contribute.
And she discovered service as a passion.
Finding Value in Community, and Building Her Own
Ny grew up as one of five children. Her older siblings had some college experience, but she became the only one to remain on the path to higher education. Her mother has always been her rock. Ny remembers a moment from kindergarten or first grade where she had been talking about a friend who was doing well in school. Her mother asked if she wanted that for herself. Then came the reminder she would carry with her:
“They have a brain; you have a brain. You can do it.”
That belief became part of her drive.
So did the values of her family and community.
As the child of immigrants, Ny grew up understanding that the opportunities one generation receives can help the next generation build something more. She was also surrounded by a close-knit South Sudanese community where people may not be related by blood but still call one another cousins—and step up when someone needs support.
She learned that community is not simply something you belong to. It is something you build.
At UNL, she joined the African People’s Union. When she arrived as a freshman, the organization had about 12 students. Over the years, she and her executive committee helped it grow to approximately 100 members. Ny became involved in programs focused on health, wellness and cultural awareness, creating spaces where students could build connections.
The community and belonging she valued was something she could share and grow.
Someone Saw What She Could Become
As a Susan Thompson Buffett scholarship recipient, Ny was an active member of the William H. Thompson Scholars Learning Community at UNL, which became another important part of Ny’s growth. She describes the staff and director of the programs as phenomenal. They treated students as capable young adults while providing the support and direction they needed to grow.
When she applied to become a mentor as a sophomore, they gave her the opportunity. As a junior, she became an undergraduate assistant. By her senior year, they created a career peer position for her. Each step reinforced something Ny had been learning throughout her journey: Sometimes, growth begins because someone is willing to see potential in you before you fully see it in yourself.
Then came another defining moment.
During her junior year of college, Ny learned about an undergraduate thesis opportunity that could allow her to graduate with distinction. There was just one problem. She had missed the deadline. But instead of accepting that the opportunity was gone, she asked what could be done. She reached out to two professors and asked if they would serve as co-sponsors, and they said yes.
At this point, Ny was beginning to understand a pattern in her own life. A missed opportunity did not necessarily mean the end of the story. Sometimes, it simply meant she needed to ask.
“If I’m Behind, What Am I Going to Do About It?”
Through her experiences with the Buffett Scholars community, she helped spark conversations about the need for more intentional post-graduate preparation. Those conversations eventually contributed to the development of a Career Development Externship program with mentorship.
The student who once felt she was running to catch up was now helping make the path easier for those coming behind her. Her undergraduate experience culminated in another moment of recognition when she received the university’s President of the Year award for her student organization leadership.
But the award represented something greater. She had entered college trying to understand where she belonged and what her purpose was. She was leaving knowing. Her passion was service.
Discovering Her Purpose
For years, Ny had wondered, “What is my thing?” Eventually, she realized the answer was simple. Her thing was helping people.
Ny wanted to share knowledge and resources. She wanted to help people avoid pitfalls. She wanted people to feel comfortable in rooms where they might otherwise wonder if they belonged. She wanted to be the person who steps in when someone does not know what they do not know. That purpose followed her beyond undergraduate study.
After college, Ny pursued AmeriCorps, embracing another opportunity to give back. Then came law school. And the defining moments continued.
She competed in a legal writing competition and joined law review, taking on the demanding work of research and writing.
Then came London.
As a first-year law student, Ny was one of only six students selected for a program focused on oral advocacy in the United Kingdom. Most of the students selected were third-years. She was a first-year.
By then, Ny had learned to reach for opportunities even when they felt out of reach. She had learned that sometimes the most important step is simply being willing to try.
Writing the Next Chapter
Today, Ny is exploring opportunities such as a federal judicial clerkship or judicial externship, and preparing for an internship with Gutman Law Group. Ultimately, Ny hopes to work in civil rights, protecting constitutional rights and helping people understand protections they may not know they have.
In many ways, it brings her back to that pocket Constitution.
The small book she received in high school is still with her as she works toward becoming an attorney. It has traveled with her from one defining moment to another.
Ny believes, “We might not have control over the game pieces we’re dealt, but we do have control over how and if we play the game.” She has lived that philosophy. She knows what it feels like to be a first-generation college student navigating unfamiliar systems. She knows what it is like to wonder whether she is behind.
And she also knows what happens when someone steps in. When someone answers the question you were afraid to ask. When someone believes in you. When someone creates a community where you know you belong. Those moments changed Ny’s life.
Now, Ny is creating those moments for someone else and sharing the lessons she learned along the way. She wants students to see themselves in the people standing in front of them and understand that their circumstances do not determine whether they belong in a particular room. Today, Ny is becoming the person she once needed. She wants to be part of the puzzle—the missing piece that helps someone understand their rights, find a resource, overcome a challenge or simply recognize that they belong.
For her, that is the meaning of service. And perhaps that is the greatest defining moment of all: Realizing that the help she received was meant to continue through her.
