www.wmitchell.eduThe Mitchell Scholarship Drive
Jessica Stomski
Scholarships mean the world
Jessica Stomski is a testament to the power of scholarships. The St. Paul native was the first in her family to graduate from college. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a basketball scholarship and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Academic All-Big Ten during her junior and senior years. She played professional basketball overseas until a back injury sidelined her career. That’s when she decided to pursue a field that has always interested her: law.
“I had no idea how much law school costs,” she said. “My initial plan was to work and go to school because I didn’t want come out of school with $130,000 in debt.”
Stomski received several scholarships to attend William Mitchell, which turned out to be priceless gifts for Stomski and her family. Stomski’s father, who inspired her to go to law school, was diagnosed with cancer in late 2006 and died less than a year later.
“Without the Mitchell scholarships, I would have had to work, and then when my dad got sick I would have had to quit school to take care of him,” Stomski said. “The scholarships gave me time to take care of my dad and go to school. My dad was able to know that I would graduate.”
The scholarships Stomski received include one created by Mitchell alumni in memory of Bruce Hanley ’76, a prominent criminal attorney and board of trustees member who died from esophageal cancer. Stomski met Bruce’s widow and daughter at the 2006 scholarship luncheon, just months before her own father’s cancer diagnosis, and quickly connected with them. “They were there for me when my dad got sick,” Stomski said. “They were a wonderful resource, adding another dimension to my education.”
“They were there for me when my dad got sick,” Stomski said. “They were a wonderful resource, adding another dimension to my education.”
Stomski spoke at the 2008 scholarship luncheon as a recipient of the Travelers Companies Inc. Diversity Scholarship and the S. Louis Shore Memorial Scholarship.
“You’re not just giving to the school or a fund,” she said. “You’re giving to a person who has a unique situation. As the first member of my family to graduate from college--let alone law school--you not only gave me a scholarship, you gave my whole family a scholarship. Scholarships are life-changing. My scholarship means the world.”
Stomski has an offer to work as an associate in corporate litigation at Briggs & Morgan in Minneapolis after her graduation from Mitchell in May.