Heather Hagan '01

Major
Political Science

Minor
English

Residence
Indianapolis, Indiana

Why did you choose SJC?
On my campus visit, the Office of Admissions staff greeted me warmly, knew me by name, and made me feel welcome. I realized that if I attended SJC, I would be attending a school that truly wanted me to be there and be successful in my future career. The Core Program also played a role in my decision. The subject matter seemed more integrated than the general education curriculums at other colleges I'd visited, and I liked the emphasis on reading and discussing - for me, it's the best way to learn. I was also glad to know that in Core, I would interact with students whose academic interests were different from mine. The College eventually offered me a full-tuition Presidential Scholarship, and that sealed my decision.

As a student, what were you involved in?
I was the Features Editor and also Editor-in-Chief of The Observer (the College's student-produced newspaper), President of the College Republicans, Finance Director and Treasurer for the Student Union Board (SUB), and a member of the Speech and Debate Team. I was also employed by SJC's Writing Clinic, where I critiqued research papers for students on campus, and by the Office of Admissions, where I worked as a Student Ambassador.

In addition to my involvement on campus, I participated in several internships while at SJC. During the second semester of my sophomore year, I was a Legislative Intern for Johnson Smith, L.L.P. in Indianapolis, Indiana, where I worked with the law firm's principal lobbyists, prepared weekly client correspondent reports, and attended and reported on legislative committee hearings. The summer after my junior year, I interned for Senator Dick Lugar's re-election campaign, also in Indianapolis. My job duties included assisting with planning and implementing grassroots efforts, recruiting and coordinating campaign volunteers, and serving as staff representative at various fundraising and campaign efforts. I completed my last internship in Indianapolis in the summer of 2001, working for Brose McVey's congressional campaign. During that time, I compiled an extensive donor/volunteer database, implemented the use of a campaign management software program, and researched the district's fundraising history in order to establish financial goals.

What are you doing now?
After graduating from Indiana University School of Law in May 2004, I began a two-year clerkship with Judge Thomas Fisher in the Indiana Tax Court. As a law clerk, I am responsible for assisting the Judge with research and drafting of opinions, as well as attending hearings, trials, and oral arguments. The Tax Court sits at the same level as the Indiana Court of Appeals (meaning its opinions are only reviewable by the Indiana Supreme Court) and has jurisdiction over cases involving the property tax, income tax, sales and use tax, and inheritance tax.

How did SJC prepare you for the "real world"?
The Core Program has been an enormous benefit to my graduate education and career path. It sharpens your analytical skills, improves the way you process information, and forces you to pay closer attention to detail, skills that are especially important when doing legal research and writing. The professors I had at SJC really worked with me to help me attend a law school that was the right fit for me, and the size of the campus allowed me to interact with people from various backgrounds and cultures, which is something that has been beneficial to me in many aspects of my life.