Current students and their families, alumni, faculty, and staff of South Texas College of Law Houston gathered recently to celebrate the Lunar New Year and the rich diversity of Houston’s oldest law school.
Organized by the school’s Asian Pacific American Law Students Association (APALSA), the event featured catered Asian-American cuisine, larger-than-life decorations, and festive dance performances to kick off the Lunar New Year.
“APALSA members are passionate in all we do and committed to our cause, which is to bring diversity and culture to South Texas College of Law Houston,” said Xinyi “Cindy” Liu, president of APALSA. “Most importantly, we want to create a sense of community for all of us here at STCL Houston, so that we can continue to encourage one another to succeed.”
Several successful alumni and former APALSA members at South Texas Law returned to the school to share in the celebration and network with current student members.
STCL Houston alumna Helen Le ’18, assistant district attorney in the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, encouraged students as one of the event’s keynote speakers.
Another graduate, Sarah Tejada ’16, an associate at Rosas Law Group in Houston, also served as a keynote speaker, sharing her best advice for students. She told attendees that how they treat others matters and she encouraged them to maintain law school connections following graduation. She shared that professors can be the students’ greatest mentors and advocates, and noted how they’ll likely be surprised at their professors’ continued support following graduation. She told the students to enter a field of law they enjoy — and to carry their passion for this practice area into their profession.
Tejada, who is president-elect of the Asian American Bar Association of Houston, also encouraged the students to prioritize mental health throughout their law school tenure. “It is important to zealously advocate for the clients in front of you, while extending that same privilege to yourself along the way,” she said.
