A McNeese Degree Can Be Your Ticket to Graduate School 

This fall, some McNeese State University graduates are settling into their new careers while others are preparing for graduate school. 

McNeese graduates David Thompson, Samuel Gil and Jackson Lewis are all moving on to the next level in their academic careers. 

Thompson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in humanities with a pre-law concentration. Knowing law school was his next step, Thompson applied to several out-of-state schools. He was accepted at Cornell University, Duke University, University of Notre Dame and Washington University in St. Louis.  

“I chose Duke primarily for its excellent employment outcomes, financial aid package and overall degree portability,” Thompson said. “However, it was not a straightforward decision.” 

Thompson set his sights on law school during his junior year of high school. He is especially interested in intellectual property within the context of artistic spheres, such as music, visual media and digital media entertainment.  

He says he gravitated towards McNeese because he is from the area and it was a logical choice.  

“I found that McNeese was accessible in many respects, including financial assistance, supplemental resources, approachable faculty and an abundance of extracurricular activities,” he said. 

While at McNeese Thompson was a member of the Honors College and Pre-Law Society and honed his piano skills. Dr. Lina Morita, an associate professor of music, heard him playing piano in a practice room and welcomed him to the music department. During her classes, which he took for five semesters, he discovered that he enjoyed playing on stage and found music to be therapeutic.  

Gil earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and will attend the University of Texas at Austin to study public affairs this fall. 

“It is ranked in the top 10 of public affairs programs in America and the location is fantastic for my career interests,” Gil said. “The university also offered me a substantial financial aid award that is allowing me to attend this prestigious institution.” 

Gil said he originally planned to go to law school, but because of his service within the state of Louisiana, he became interested in public affairs and service. He is not crossing law school off his list just yet but he will wait until he earns a master’s in public affairs first. 

“I chose McNeese because I love the small-town university and I recognized how many opportunities the university could offer me. I knew I could get involved and make an impact and that is exactly what I did at McNeese,” Gil said. 

While at McNeese, Gil was involved with Kappa Sigma Theta-Rho and the Student Government Association (SGA) where he served two terms as president. Both organizations impacted his leadership journey and development as a student. He was also a Rhodes Scholar finalist. 

“In my fraternity, I learned how to connect with others and serve a higher purpose. Within SGA, I learned how to serve others and my constituents while creating a culture of belonging and campus pride,” Gil said. 

Lewis, a mechanical engineering graduate, made the last-minute decision to apply to law school. He received an email that he was accepted into LSU Law School while he was waiting for his turn to cross the stage at graduation. He said it was amazing to receive the acceptance while sitting there in his cap and gown for his undergraduate degree 

“Mechanical engineering is arguably one of the hardest undergraduate degrees to obtain. I think being accustomed to this increased level of difficulty in obtaining my undergraduate degree will help me significantly in some of the difficult courses of law school,” Lewis said. 

Gil recommends that students who are considering going to graduate school of any kind to participate in different experiences that will help develop their skills and build their resume.  

Thompson encourages students to embrace the scale of the endeavor and give it their all. He approached his law school applications like a craftsman.  

“Be as creative and resourceful as you can when building your application. Highlight your individuality by drawing inspiration from cherished sources,” Thompson said. 

“I recommend simply applying. All it takes is time,” Gil said. “If you never try, you will never know if you could’ve gotten it or not.” 

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