Class of 2019, WVU College of Law
By Blair Dowler
As a first-generation college student raised by a single mother, Stephen Scott knew he would face challenges during his time at West Virginia University (WVU). Instead of being discouraged, he used those challenges as a source of motivation for making his dream of becoming an attorney a reality
“Graduating undergrad and professional school as a first-generation student means I am now privileged based on my ascent through higher education and overcoming those hurdles, and now it means paying it forward to other first-generation college students and helping them overcome their hurdles along the way however I can,” he says.
A native of Shepherdstown, WV, Scott earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and multidisciplinary studies in 2016 from WVU. He was struggling with choosing between staying at WVU for law school or enrolling at an out-of-state school when he was notified by WVU College of Law that he had been awarded the W.E.B. Du Bois Fellowship, a full-ride competitive fellowship.
“From that call, my decision to stay at WVU became so clear,” he recalls. “I felt WVU Law recognized my financial constraints in reaching my goals and wanted to see me accomplish those goals at my alma mater.”
Scott excelled in law school, graduating in the top 10 of his class with 13 honors, including the 3L Legacy Award, Patrick Duffy Koontz Scholarship Award, Order of Barristers and Order of the Coif. He was also named the Law School Student of the Year for West Virginia by the National Jurist.
He graduated with more than awards, however. At WVU he discovered new interests due to his involvement in various activities, including the U.S. Supreme Court Clinic, Black Law Students Association, National Moot Court and Public Interest Advocates. He also served as executive notes editor for the West Virginia Law Review and president of the Student Bar Association in his third year after holding other leadership positions his first two years.
As Scott begins his career, he recognizes that the Mountain State has provided him with the ideal foundation from which to accomplish his goals.
“For the past 25 years, West Virginia has allowed me to pursue my dreams,” he says. “I can only hope that one day I have the opportunity to serve the state in a larger capacity.”
