09/30/2026
I was born and raised in a small town in Appalachia. Growing up in this region, you learn the laws that matter, and you learn them young. You learn to be loyal. You learn to do the right thing, even when the right thing is the hard thing.
People from my area know about bearing the burden of proof. We’ve had to do that our whole lives. Prove you work hard, prove you are reliable, prove that you are loyal and trustworthy.
My grandmother made sure that I knew that I could prove myself anywhere, even places I had never been. When I'd come home from school, I’d always find her watching the news. She’d say, "Ashley, I could see you on that TV. I could see you talking about those things." Her faith in me helped me grow faith in myself. She helped me see opportunities that a lot of people back home don’t get to see for themselves.
The University of Cincinnati is a place that provides me with those opportunities. I have earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, and I’m now almost halfway to my law degree.
I don’t know what area of practice I will pursue, but I know that I want to be an advocate for people. I’m off to a good start, having worked as a legal intern in the Hamilton County Public Defender’s office and now as a policy fellow in the Ohio Innocence Project. I am thankful to learn what they are teaching. But most of the time, they teach the same thing that I learned long ago and miles away, back home: always do the right thing.
– Ashley Stewart 2L
