2023 was a fulfilling and exciting year for me. Last spring I chose to attend Yale Law School after an incredible application cycle where I was accepted into every school I applied to except for one waitlist. I was really torn in my decision between NYU and Yale but ultimately I found that Yale was the right place for me. I also was awarded and named a recipient of a scholarship from the Marshall-Motley Scholar Programs from the Legal Defense Fund. Being a Marshall-Motley Scholar has been an incredible honor and privilege and it has truly made my first semester at Law School all the better. Moving to New Haven in August and beginning my first semester of Law School was incredibly challenging but also very rewarding. I have made some amazing friends and learned so much in my courses. The second half of my year was mostly filled with classes, studying and trying to stay on top of all the material I learned but I also found time to explore some other interests of mine. I became the social media head for the Yale Black Law Students Association (BLSA), and also joined the BLSA mock trial team where we will be competing next February in Buffalo, New York. I also am part of the organizing team for Reb Law (rebellious lawyering), a conference held annually at Yale Law School to bring together “practitioners, law students, and community activists from around the country to discuss innovative, progressive approaches to law and social change.” I am so excited to begin my second semester later this month but am grateful for the time I have now to rest and connect with family and friends. I am so grateful for the support and opportunities MVYouth provided me throughout my four years of undergrad and beyond that have gotten me to this point. Thank you, MVYouth!
Danielle Hopkins - Barnard College
2022 was quite an exciting and challenging year for me. I continued working as a client advocate at the Harris County Public Defender’s office here in Houston, Texas. My work as a client advocate really varies from day to day. One day I will spend three plus hours in the jail visiting clients and getting documents signed, the next I will be with a coworker driving around town as we assist a client transitioning into a substance use treatment program, and other days I never leave my desk as I check emails and make phone calls. What has been challenging about this role is that most of the time clients do not get favorable outcomes in their cases and as a result so many aspects of their lives are impacted. There are some days filled with amazing news of charges being dropped and clients reunited with families, but most end with sentences or heavy parole requirements that make it impossible to move on from their case. Despite these emotional highs and lows I really am so grateful to be in this position and working in this role as it has prepared me well for my future career as a public defender. I also got the opportunity to be a guest on a podcast Public Defenseless where I spoke about my job as an advocate and the Harris County Public Defender's Office. It was my first time on a podcast and it was a really cool experience.
Besides work, a lot of this year I spent on my law school applications. I re-took the LSAT two times and finally finished applying to all my schools by December 1st. I have begun hearing back from a few and so far have been very excited by the news. Just this week I found out I was accepted into NYU School of Law! I am so grateful for the support I received from my mentors, professors, friends and family during this process. And I also am grateful for the support and opportunities MVYouth provided me throughout my four years of undergrad and beyond.
Danielle Hopkins - Barnard University
This past year has been one filled with major life transitions for me personally. I am honored to say I graduated magna cum laude from Barnard with departmental honors for my senior thesis on the Penn Center on St. Helena’s island. Even though graduation was virtual, like my entire senior year, I was really happy I got to celebrate the accomplishment with my family at home. Especially with my grandmother who I was really proud to have at my graduation. In May, my grandmother passed away, and as many of you may know we had a very close and special relationship that was hard to have to see transition. The spring of 2021 was challenging for me and my family but knowing my grandmother had been able to see me through this chapter before her passing was truly a gift I am grateful to have gotten.
I know last year I had intentions of moving to Philadelphia but I actually ended up moving to Houston, Texas in June. I am living with my aunt and uncle as I work as a client advocate at the Harris County Public Defenders office. I am working at the Public Defenders office through a national non-profit called Partners for Justice. Partners for Justice trains non-attorney Advocates to provide clients with case navigation and wraparound support while assisting public defenders in advocating for more favorable case outcomes. One of the co-founders of the program recently moved to Martha’s Vineyard and it has been great to connect with her through our shared love for the island community. Navigating my early 20’s during a global pandemic has had its fair share of challenges, but I also have grown and learned so much in these past few months since graduation. I will be in Texas until 2023 when (if all goes to plan) I will be attending law school. I am so grateful for the platform and opportunity MV Youth provided me throughout my 4 years of undergrad and beyond, and I am so excited to see what other young adults and island programs get the honor to be a part of the MVYouth family.
Danielle Hopkins - Barnard College
While this semester was certainly not how I envisioned my senior year to be, I have learned a lot and been able to find time for fun as I now enter my final semester at Barnard College. I spent this past semester at home taking my classes remotely as my school did not offer any in-person courses. I have begun writing my senior thesis for my American History major on Gullah cultural preservation at the Penn Center on St. Helena’s island off the coast of South Carolina. My family on my mother’s side is Gullah Geechee and we have a deep connection with the Penn Center, formally Penn School. In addition to my thesis, I was able to take some other great courses remotely including a Women and Gender studies course entitled Critical Approaches in Social and Cultural Theory. I also took a coding class in the language of Python and a Religion course in Black culture in America. While online classes were certainly difficult and it felt like I was already spending a lot of time on Zoom, I was also able to engage in some really great extracurricular activities. I was a part of the Barnard Student Government Association and will continue that role into the spring as the Vice President of Finance. I also was able to continue two of my campus jobs remotely. As a Barnard Student Admissions representative, I took over the Instagram page and gave virtual student experience presentations. As a Barnard Speaking Fellow, I was able to support my fellow peers remotely over Zoom. While I usually am involved in student theater, this semester I decided to take a step back however I did end up directing a 24-hour musical where the Black Theatre Ensemble wrote a spoof of the Cheetah Girls 20 years later and the next day we performed it virtually. It was my first time ever directing a show and it was so much fun! I am a little sad that my final semester at Barnard will also be virtual as I have chosen not to return to New York even though the school is offering in-person classes. I am looking forward to completing my senior thesis and taking my final courses while searching for a job post-graduation, as I hope to move to Philadelphia for two years before attending law school. I also recently begun working at the Green Room and will continue working there part-time next semester. Thanks to the generosity and support of MVYouth I have been able to have such an amazing experience at Barnard and learn so much about myself and the world around me. I am so appreciative of everything you do for the youth of the island community and for giving us opportunities to grow and explore!
Danielle Hopkins - Barnard College
During this past semester at Barnard College, I have continued to explore my passion for History as well as exploring new interests outside of the classroom. I became the Vice President for Academic Affairs of the CU Women of Color Pre-Law Society. We have done a lot of important work as a club including activism projects regarding mass incarceration in New York City and the country. I now have a lot more clarity on my desires post-graduation which includes attending law school. I also took a GIS course this semester to fulfill my thinking technologically and digitally requirement. In the course, we used ArcGIS which is computer software for map-making. We did tutorials every week for homework and had weekly labs in which we mapped out different phenomenons and parts of the city. I participated in a Kings Crown Shakespeare's Troupe's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream.I played Titania and really enjoyed my experience even though I found sleeping on stage for three scenes much harder than I thought it would be. I also work as a Speaking Fellow, I helped to mentor my peers and discussion and presentation skills once a week. I also was a Community Assistant in the Barnard Student Life. Lastly, I worked in the Admissions Office where I have worked since my first year, giving tours and taking phone calls at the front desk. This past semester has been pretty amazing. However, I am even more excited for next semester when I will continue working on my Spanish minor as I study abroad in Seville, Spain. I am so grateful for the generosity and support I have received from MVYouth. With this support, I am able to take my studies across the globe to continue to grow as a student and an individual. I am so appreciative of everything you do for the island community.
Danielle Hopkins - Barnard College
During this past semester at Barnard College I have gained important insights about my academic experience. During the month of September I declared a history major with a thematic concentration in race and ethnicity. I also am planning on declaring a minor in Spanish when I return in the spring. I have decided that I also would like to attend law school after graduation. I am very excited to have this better idea about what I want to do with my career. I took some pretty incredible courses this semester including Rhetorical Choices where we learned about speech theory, and practiced different forms of public speaking. I also took two history courses, African American history and European History both of which improved my writing and analytical skills immensely.
While I had an amazing academic experience this semester, I also have engaged in some really cool extracurricular activities. I was apart of the Columbia University Player’s production of the Great Gatsby in October, and I recently just finished training to be a Barnard Speaking Fellow. Speaking Fellows are peer tutors in speech, class discussion, presentations, and interviews skills. I also have continued working in the Barnard Admissions office as a Barnard Student Admissions Representative and acted as the Columbia University Black Theatre Ensemble's Treasurer.
This past semester has been pretty crazy but filled with lots of fun memories with my friends and peers. I cannot wait for my next semester at Barnard where I recently just got accepted into an intensive research seminar where we will be doing a case study on Welfare in Mississippi, which includes a trip to Mississippi in the spring. Thanks to the generosity and support of MVYouth I have been able to continue to grow as a student and an individual. I am so appreciative of everything you do for the island community.
Danielle Hopkins - Barnard College
During my first semester at Barnard College, I auditioned for and was part of Columbia University’s Black Theatre Ensemble’s fall production of Dreamgirls. In the musical, I played the role of CC, who is the main character, Effie’s brother and also a leading role in the show. Being part of this musical was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I entered college thinking I wanted to major in either Political Science or English and now after this first semester I have absolutely no idea what I want to major in. While I did take a political science class and a required English course I decided to also take Spanish and try Astronomy with the Astronomy lab to fulfill my science requirement and to experience something new. I ended up learning a lot in the lecture and lab. I got to do observations, calculations about celestial bodies, and learn about space exploration and climate change. However after taking this course, I don’t think I can see myself as an Astronomy major. While being unsure of my major is a little terrifying, in many ways I’m glad I don't know because it is forcing me to step out of my comfort zone. I am so grateful that MVYouth is supporting me in this endeavor. I wouldn’t be able to go on this journey in the best city in the world and discover what is right for me without the generous support MVYouth is giving me.