Stephanie Bowser grew up in South Kingstown, Rhode Island and graduated from Brown University.  After three years of an exciting finance career in Manhattan she returned to Rhode Island to attend Roger Williams University School of law with the goal of a career in corporate law.

On Rhode Island:
In my opinion, Rhode Island is absolutely beautiful and Bristol and Providence happen to be two of my favorite places in the state.  Having grown up here, I probably took the beauty of the area for granted.  However, I’ll never forget my first drive over to Roger Williams after moving home from New York City.  Driving over the Jamestown, Newport and Mount Hope bridges, especially around sunset, literally took my breath away; I couldn’t believe I’d ever left a place this beautiful.  Bristol itself is a charming town with lots of character; New England old at its best.  Providence too, is not only a great place to visit for its restaurants and shops, but also a great place to live.

On Faculty/Student Interactions :
One of the things that constantly amazes me at RWU is the commitment of the professors to the students.  Every one of the professors I’ve had made it easy and comfortable to meet with them outside of class.  Not only are they willing to answer questions about class, most are willing and happy to talk to you about law school or life in general.  They sincerely have an interest in who we are and want us to do well. 

On Career Services:
Career Services has been more than supportive.  Dean Bastone is always available to make an appointment with to discuss resumes, cover letters, or career aspirations in general.  The office has put tremendous effort into marketing RWU law students, and Dean Bastone is not afraid to pick up the phone and make a call for you.

On competition:
There’s a friendly competitiveness at RWU.  I have not seen any of the cutthroat viciousness that is rumored to go on at other law schools.  Of course everyone wants to do well, but there’s no sense of wishing others do poorly at the same time.  From my experience, students respect and are happy for others that do well.  If there are students that are competitive in a nasty way, they must be awfully quiet because I don’t know who they are. 

On life outside law school:
When I’m not doing school work I spend most of my time with family and friends.  Law school is quite a bit of work, and as rewarding as it is, it’s sometimes easy to get carried away and a little too intense.  My family and friends keep me grounded, make me smile and relax, and remember that just being in law school is quite an accomplishment.  Unwinding and taking a breather every once in a while is a must in order to be at optimal productivity when you are studying. 

Stephanie Bowser

South Kingstown, RI