A little over three years ago, I received a phone call from the William S. Richardson School of Law at the University of Hawaii.  Many, many years after my initial intent to go to law school, I was accepted and began the most recent phase of my life.   

In 2009, I turned to Wayne, unhappy with my life as a consultant, and suggested that I complete the pre-med requirements at our local community college.  Wayne countered with the thought that I apply for the Master of Social Work program instead.  I did, and on a wing and a prayer, I was accepted.  I thought that I would be going into mental health for military families, but it just didn't gel.   

While I was taking "Social Work and the Law" with Sandy Kato, I found out about the Court Appointed Special Advocate program in the Judiciary, and I applied to become a volunteer guardian ad litem.  The minute I stepped into the courtroom, I absolutely knew I needed to go to law school to give these families a better voice.

Wayne sent me the link - repeatedly - to sign up for a practice LSAT.  I signed up, took the test, and scored well enough to consider taking the exam for real.  So I did, and on December 2, 2012, I submitted my application after taking the exam.  Exactly one month later I had my score, and two weeks after that I received the call...the call welcoming me to law school.  Elisabeth Steele Hutchison became my new best friend.  Well, next to Kaki, my partner in crime and football for the three years of law school.  Go Etes!

And now it's done.  My parents are here to see their eldest get her doctoral degree, and kick off my summer of suffering while studying for the bar exam.  

I do have to thank my family for putting up with three years of silence, my husband Wayne for three years of nightmares relating to missing final exams, my new friend Kaki for being a sanity board, and my "old" friend Dianne for being my walking companion over the past three years.  It truly took a village to make it through the last three years.