Be the Reason: Jaylen Riley Be the Reason

Scholarships help students from all backgrounds access Saint Louis University's Catholic Jesuit education. Hear from SLU School of Law student Jaylen Riley on the importance of donor support in increasing access to a transformative education.
Jaylen says: "I talk about service and being a socially aware attorney. I think that receiving this scholarship will help me do both of those things, and it has helped me to do both of those things.
I've been able to dedicate a lot of my time to BLSA, the Black Law Students’ Association, that otherwise without the scholarship, I don't think I would have been able to do.
And then also the clinical work that I do, I know that, you know, if I if I weren't on this scholarship, I probably would not be able to do that. I'd have to, you know, work just to make ends meet.
I knew I wanted to do civil work after I graduate. And so I got involved with our civil advocacy clinic. We, you know, work on prison litigation and, just helping members of our community who are underprivileged. I'm a big proponent of diversity, equity and inclusion, and I think the world
is kind of moving in that direction.
A lot of law firms are realizing that, you know, we need diverse attorneys in order to, you know,
not only to remain competitive with clients, to have those voices in the room.
And so when I think about scholarships and bridging that gap, I think about having more black attorneys, having more women attorneys, having more LGBTQIA plus attorneys.
All of those things are important for the future of our profession, the future of our community, and definitely the future of this country."
About SLU: Founded in 1818, Saint Louis University is one of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious Catholic institutions. Rooted in Jesuit values and its pioneering history as the first university west of the Mississippi River, SLU offers nearly 13,000 students a rigorous, transformative education of the whole person on campuses in St. Louis, Missouri, and Madrid, Spain. At the core of the University’s diverse community of scholars is SLU’s service-focused mission, which challenges and prepares students to make the world a better, more just place. Learn more at www.slu.edu.