Name: Mackenzie K. Medich
Year: Third Year Law Student (3L)
Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
Age: 24
Major: Juris Doctorate in Land Use and Environmental Law Certificate
Her Campus (HC): What made you decide that Florida State was the school for you?
Mackenzie Medich (MM): I wanted a tier 1 law school that had more to offer me than just being one of their law students and preparing me for the bar exam; I really found that in FSU. I met some of the professors at Admitted Students Day and, despite being supernatural geniuses, they were wonderful people. Everyone was friendly, open to helping and it felt like a very positive and exciting atmosphere. I heard about some of the events the students put on throughout the school year and they sounded like a lot of fun. Aside from a great educational program and people, it was important for me to be at a school with more things to do and to have a general spirit about the school. I could tell FSU would be my home.
HC: How excited are you to finally be graduating this year?
MM: It’s bittersweet; I love school and I love being a student. I will miss seeing everyone every day, especially since all my best friends will be in different places after we graduate. I’ll miss my open schedule. I’ll miss leggings and FSU Law sweatshirt being acceptable attire for 3 days in a row. I’ll miss my professors and their varied expertise. I’ll miss the law school events and FSU sports. On the bright side, I won’t have to pay tuition anymore and I can start to have an income; I get to move on and start another part of my life. I can finally begin making a difference in the things I care about.
HC: Do you have any immediate plans after graduation (like getting some much needed R&R)?
MM: Immediately after graduation, I’m running to the FSU baseball game, if it hasn’t ended by the time the ceremony is over. R&R is a long way away, sadly. I finish my last finals period in early May, graduate the 7th then I have to study 40+ hours a week for the bar exam, which is at the end of July. What’s worse is I’m probably taking the North Carolina bar and not the Florida bar, so I’m studying for a completely different state. I have some fun possible plans for the summer though: an oil and gas conference in Denver, the Belmont Stakes in New York, my good friend’s wedding and traveling to see the solar eclipse. I also ride horses and there’s no way I’m giving that up just to study for the bar. Other than that, I have a lot more studying and job hunting to do.
HC: What has been your favorite part of attending FSU?
MM: I love so many things about FSU but to sum it up, I love the energy at this school. I follow school sports so much that it’s becoming unhealthy and I attend absolutely every single event I can. I don’t mean to brag, but I’m actually ranked 10th in the school for Spear It Rewards points. I love having so many talented teams we get to rally around and the students actually care! It’s not just sports, but the general FSU pride. The student population and the Tallahassee area are so active – student groups hosting a drag show, Market Wednesdays, intramural sports, law school activities, local festivals and our top-notch night life (which, let’s be real, is why we’re all here).
HC: As a senior, do you have any words of wisdom for any incoming freshmen?
MM: Yes, I do! Ignore the adults saying they wish they had studied and focused more on their classes. Of course you need to study and grades matter, but I wish more than anything that I had been more social and let go a little more. It took me until my junior year of undergrad at the University of Central Florida (UCF) to realize that making connections with other people and having experiences are invaluable; you can (and will) make friendships that will last a lifetime, make a difference in your school, have spirit and show your pride make stories you’ll tell forever AND be the girl that got kicked out of Madison Social for bringing in a bottle of gin after coming straight from the law school woodser. Basically, enjoy your time; really enjoy it. Do everything you ever wanted to and some things you never thought you would want to. Take advantage of opportunities. Your time here will end and you’ll be glad you made the best of it while you were here.