Thought Leadership
Thought Leadership
April 17, 2025
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Vivian, a junior at Cleveland State University (CSU), is charting a course toward a career in law. Her journey, characterized by resilience and a steadfast resolve to achieve, has been profoundly influenced by her time at CSU alongside the opportunities provided by her participation in Kaplan's All Access License program. Through the collaboration between Kaplan and CSU, students like Vivian receive free access to industry-leading preparation for pivotal exams like the LSAT®, a crucial step to getting into law school.
Vivian is well acquainted with hard work. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, she started working at 14, first as a babysitter. At 15, she got a part time job at a donut shop while she was too young to get hired full time. When she turned 16, as a sophomore in high school, she began participating in extracurricular activities such as playing the violin and Key Club. She also began working full time as a kitchen worker at a local pizza shop where she continues as an assistant general manager.
She shares, “Overall, working and being in school definitely instilled a work ethic in me, and that helped me have the work ethic that I needed in order to achieve everything.” Of the job she started in high school, she goes on, “Honestly, that has impacted my life a lot. I've learned a lot there. I've had a lot of great people that I've met there who have really helped me and supported me. I started as just a 16 year old kitchen worker, and I worked my way up to an assistant general manager. I feel like it showed me that if you put in the work and work hard, you can move up and be successful. It's all about what you put into it.”
Vivian was exposed early to the criminal justice system, resulting from her father’s incarceration throughout a large portion of her childhood. This ignited within her a strong desire to pursue a career in law. Witnessing the deep impact of the legal system on individuals—and their families—firsthand solidified her commitment to this path.
"I saw how big of an impact that law itself and the whole criminal justice system can have on people's lives," she reflects. "The impact of my dad going away and serving his sentence just had on my family, and even the whole process and the trial. I feel like it had a big impact on my life and the way that I grew up."
Raised with limited financial resources, at 18, Vivian moved out of her family’s home and became completely independent. Her decision to attend CSU was driven by a combination of factors, including its affordability and proximity to her work and home. "I chose Cleveland State for undergraduate because it was affordable, and it was the best option financially. I also had my own apartment in Cleveland at the time, so it allowed me to still commute as well as keep the full-time job that I had."
At CSU, Vivian found a supportive environment that fostered her growth, both academically and personally. She excelled in her coursework, becoming a double major in political science and criminology. On top of her studies and full-time job, she serves on the Executive Board of the Pre-Law Club and is a student worker.
Her career specialist at CSU, John Nelson-Hronek, reflects, “When I met Vivian, I immediately detected incredible intelligence. Right now, she has multiple opportunities and is just crushing it. She is a great person.” In his role at CSU, he considers himself lucky to get to work with students like Vivian, having the opportunity to make an impact on students’ lives.
He shares, “At CSU, we have a lot of students that aren't what we would consider societally as fortunate and that comes in many different shapes and sizes, whether it be socioeconomically, whether they've been marginalized in certain constructs, as it relates to privileges. And I really enjoy breaking those down and advocating for students, learning about what students need, hearing their voices, and making sure that they feel empowered.”
When it came time to prepare for the LSAT, a difficult exam required to get into law school, at first Vivian turned to YouTube videos. She recalls, “I really didn't know much about the LSAT itself at all. And I didn't have any other resources. I didn't really know what to do until I started using Kaplan.”
However, when her advisor, John, introduced her to Kaplan's All Access License program, it was a defining moment. The program provides free access to industry-leading test prep to all students, including a comprehensive LSAT course, removing a significant financial barrier and opening doors to crucial preparation resources.
Vivian states, “I really wanted to be successful on the LSAT, but I wasn't sure how. Having access to that prep course was really important for me, and especially hearing about how I could use it for free made such a big impact too. It definitely was super helpful.”
“I really didn't know much about the LSAT itself at all. And I didn't have any other resources. I didn't really know what to do until I started using Kaplan.” - Vivian, Student & All Access License Participant
"When students figure out that they have this opportunity, that they can receive free Kaplan test prep," John explains, "it's like the biggest sigh of relief that you can imagine. It's a huge burden lifted for students." Putting it into perspective, he illustrates, “It's like thinking that your car needs a $3,000 repair, and then, realizing that it doesn't. I don't know if a lot of our students could continue on in their pre-professional journey without Kaplan and the services in the relationship that we've built with them.”
Expounding on the challenging nature of the exam, Vivian shares, “The LSAT is just a different test than anything else. It's really not comparable to anything that students my age have done before. And when I first took the LSAT without studying, I was so confused and lost. I felt like I didn't even understand what the questions were asking. But, the Kaplan books and the drills really helped me with that, and it just all became so much more clear, and made so much sense, and made everything seem like it was possible.”
For Vivian, free access to test prep through Kaplan's All Access License proved to be a game-changer. The comprehensive study materials, practice tests, and expert guidance provided her with a structured and effective way to prepare for the LSAT. More importantly, it instilled in her a sense of confidence and self-belief, empowering her to tackle the exam with a positive mindset.
"Studying with Kaplan really made all the difference in the world for me," Vivian shares. "It explained everything in a way that made sense. It really went into depth and explained things clearly and made everything make a lot more sense to me. My level of confidence definitely has gone up more than I thought it could just from studying with Kaplan."
“When students figure out that they have this opportunity, that they can receive free Kaplan test prep, it's like the biggest sigh of relief that you can imagine. It's a huge burden lifted for students.” - John, Career Specialist, Cleveland State University
With course options available suited to fit different students’ learning styles, Vivian chose to take the On Demand version, where she could study on her own schedule and pace. This option allowed her to prepare for the high-stakes exam around her full- time work schedule and academic course work. “I have friends who like doing the Live Online classes because that worked for them. But I knew that the self- paced would work a lot better for me,” she stated.
"Studying with Kaplan really made all the difference in the world for me. My level of confidence definitely has gone up more than I thought it could just from studying with Kaplan." - Vivian, Student & All Access License Participant
Vivian's dedication and hard work are unmatched. Coupled with the support of her CSU advisors and Kaplan's All Access License program, her doors of opportunity are wide open. After successfully taking the LSAT a year early, this accomplishment has not only broadened her law school options but has also fueled her aspirations to aim even higher.
"My results really instilled the confidence in me that I needed to have even higher goals," Vivian says. "That showed me that I am capable of achieving a high score and succeeding. And then talking with the Career Development office and my advisors, it really showed me that there are opportunities, and that I'm able to reach them."
Her outcome on the LSAT caused her to re-evaluate her next steps: “I originally wasn't planning on applying to very many places, and I wanted to stay local. But now that I scored high enough, it definitely has opened a lot of new opportunities for me to apply to more schools and possibly move away and attend a top school. So that's definitely made a really big difference for me, and has honestly changed my plans for my entire future, and I'm really thankful to have all those opportunities.”
Vivian's journey is far from over. Her goal is ultimately to pursue a career as a criminal defense lawyer, driven by a deep-seated belief in justice and fairness. “I think that people make mistakes and that no matter what you do, you should always have a chance, and you should always be treated fairly, no matter what. I learned so much about this in undergrad, and it really inspires me to keep going with it, especially in both political science and criminology courses that I take.” She expounds, “There're so many things that impact the likelihood of crime, like socioeconomic status, financial availability, and where you grew up. And there are so many people that are disadvantaged that end up in the criminal justice system almost as a direct result of that. I really would like to do my part to help fix that, or help people that are involved, or end up on that path as much as I can.”
Vivian's story underscores the profound impact of partnerships centered on a mutual vision for student success, such as the one between CSU and Kaplan. By providing free access to test prep, including the LSAT, this initiative is not only strengthening CSU's pre-law program, it is also inspiring and empowering students such as Vivian to reach their full potential.
"Because of stories like Vivian’s we're able to market our office in a far different way," John explains. "And we're able to use student stories to motivate students, not only to see us, but to study in a very specific way, like Vivian has."
And, when it comes to faculty and staff response to being able to offer this resource to students? John says, “It's an incredible point of pride that we can offer free test prep to our students.”
"Because of stories like Vivian’s we're able to market our office in a far different way. And we're able to use student stories to motivate students, not only to see us, but to study in a very specific way, like Vivian has." - John, Career Specialist, Cleveland State University
Kaplan's All Access License program has proven to be an invaluable asset in empowering students to pursue their aspirations. We look forward with anticipation to hearing about Vivian’s next steps in her career, with her hard work and dedication she’s well on her way to achieving her dreams.
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