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Nearly 2,000 miles separate Chloe Duchouquette’s border city of El Paso, Texas and Wardah Rizwan’s borough of Brooklyn, New York, but the two high school seniors have much in common.
Both are exceptionally driven, launching and participating in school clubs, volunteering, and exploring extracurricular learning activities in their limited spare time. And both are committed to giving back to their communities.
“I want to make the world a better place little-by-little,” says Duchouquette.
The pair also share an interest in the law, although neither has a direct connection to the legal field. This summer, that interest brought them together — at least virtually — as two of the 230 learners from 15 states who participated in Future-L, a collaboration between Harvard Law School and the National Education Opportunity Network, also known as NEON.
The program, which recently completed its fifth year, offers bright young scholars an opportunity to learn about the law and the American legal system through video lessons by Harvard Law professors and small group discussions hosted by Harvard Law students. Based on Harvard’s Zero-L course for incoming law students, the curriculum focuses on foundational topics such as federal and state courts, how to read and understand statutes and case law, and the legal profession.
“We’re seeing firsthand how Future-L is igniting new career interests among talented students across the nation — showcasing the power of the legal profession, and a roadmap to get there.”
Leslie Cornfeld ’85, founder and CEO of NEON
Future-L aims to introduce high school students to careers in the law, says John Goldberg, the Morgan and Helen Chu Dean and Professor of Law at Harvard.
“There are young people across the nation who would bring extraordinary talent and a richness of perspectives to the practice of law, but many of them lack meaningful connections to the legal world, something I also experienced as a young person,” he says. “That’s why I am proud of Harvard Law’s efforts to help the next generation understand the possibilities offered by a career in law.”
Leslie Cornfeld ’85, founder and CEO of NEON, adds, “We were thrilled when my former classmate and former Harvard Law dean, John Manning, helped launch this partnership to open new talent pipelines into the legal profession. We’re seeing firsthand how Future-L is igniting new career interests among talented students across the nation — showcasing the power of the legal profession, and a roadmap to get there.”
According to Leah Plunkett ’06, associate dean of Learning Experience and Innovation and executive director of Harvard Law School Online, Future-L “draws on HLS Online’s Zero-L course curriculum, the teaching talents of HLS students who serve as Learning Team Leaders, and the wisdom of HLS faculty and staff colleagues who lead sessions and headline ceremonies.”
“We are humbled and delighted to have this opportunity to continue to build the Future-L community with our colleagues at the National Education Opportunity Network,” Plunkett says.
I. Glenn Cohen ’03, James A. Attwood and Leslie Williams Professor of Law and faculty lead on Zero-L, says that it is gratifying that young scholars learn from the same materials used by incoming Harvard Law students — and are taught by them, too. “It is a small way for HLS to give back,” he continues.
Those Harvard Law learning team leaders say they gain something from their experience as well.
“While gaining knowledge in my law school classes, I was able to immediately share what I learned with students who reminded me of my younger self, a first-generation child of immigrants with big dreams,” says Kimberly Foreiter ’22, who volunteered with Future-L for two years. “The students’ excitement, their curiosity about pursuing this path, the support from mentors, and the overall energy all came together to create a powerful movement that continues to fill me with gratitude. I am proud to have dedicated time to give back to the next generation, passing on the support and guidance that I received.”
The scholars
Duchouquette is a prime example of another young student with big dreams. A 12th grader at El Paso High School, she already boasts a robust resume, racking up nearly 500 volunteer hours with the National Honor Society and the National Hispanic Institute, for which she trains young people in public speaking and debate. She is an ambassador for a mental health organization called Eagle University, serves on her school’s yearbook team, and manages social media accounts for multiple organizations. An accomplished swimmer — she competes at the state championship level — Duchouquette is also a head lifeguard and swim instructor in her scant spare time.
All of this, she says, has helped her clarify what matters most to her.
“Whether it means teaching public speaking and debate to Latino youth or engaging in trash cleanups in my school’s parking lot, I have realized my passion lies within helping others and building up our world one project at a time,” she says.
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