Student Spotlight: Christina Frederick '09
Incoming law students often fear that their personal lives will suffer or stagnate upon matriculation, but nothing could be further from the truth here at NDLS. Not only did my partner and I initially receive tremendous support from the Married Law Students Organization (MLSO), but also our decision to pursue an international adoption while in law school was embraced enthusiastically by administrators, faculty members, and fellow classmates.
Chris and I first made the decision to start our family after fall semester finals my 1L year. As we began the research process, several law professors and their spouses met with us to discuss their experiences with international adoption. They offered guidance in balancing school, work, and parenthood, shared insights into the unique and sometimes challenging aspects of transracial parenting, and supported us as we concluded our research and began the application process.
This support continued throughout our wait to be matched with a child. Students and professors alike shared in our anticipation of “the call.” When our wait time was extended unexpectedly, we received numerous emails and notes of encouragement. When we finally received the call that matched us with our son, Dinkeneh, we were inundated with congratulatory notes, gifts, and requests to see his photograph. We could not have asked for a more supportive community to share in our excitement.
We traveled to Ethiopia to bring Dinkeneh home in February of this year. This necessitated my absence from several classes, and while missing classes is challenging, administrators and faculty went out of their way to minimize the disruption to my education. When we returned, I was given audio recordings of every missed class and was encouraged by all of my professors to stop by their offices or drop them emails if I had questions about missed material. Students supplied us with dinners for several weeks, provided notes for missed classes, and offered childcare services during class times. While the transition into parenthood is never easy, the support of those around us has made our adjustment particularly smooth.
Working as a full-time law student while adapting to parenthood is challenging, there is no doubt about it, but it certainly wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Notre Dame family.
