Spotlight - Andrea Polries
Andrea Polries
Third-year student
Student - Mother - Mentor - Dancer
I enjoy law school because it reminds me of my undergrad at UND. I still receive a lot of support, and the UND community is very close-knit.
After applying to law school on a whim, Grand Forks native and third-year law student Andrea Polries is not only thriving in her environment but also loving the decision she made. She balances her legal studies with a desire to use her personal experiences to affect the lives of others through teaching ballet, providing support, and mentoring youth in Grand Forks.
Andrea moved to Grand Forks with her family in 1997. After graduating high school a year early, she began studying for a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of North Dakota. Her education has been filled with unique, life-changing experiences. Not the least of which was a trip to Africa in the summer of 2004.
The summer after her second year of undergrad, Andrea served as a youth mentor and leader for a group of students traveling to Bamenda, Cameroon. This particular trip was only a few weeks long, but it was the beginning of her service in Africa. Prior to leaving, she worked with the Cameroon Convention to arrange to stay in the country. She traveled from Bamenda to the city of Bafoussam, Cameroon. In Bafoussam, she worked with a Canadian missionary couple teaching English to both adults and children in the city. Andrea fell in love with the country and its people.
The trip to Africa helped Andrea gain a different perspective on life. Drawing on her experiences in Africa, she decided that she wanted to utilize her English degree in the teaching field. However, that goal was altered slightly when a classmate told her that he was applying to law school. Andrea had previously not considered law school, but after discussing the option with her advisor, she decided to apply. Her advisor thought that Andrea’s analytical mind would be a good fit for law school. Andrea took the LSAT a month later and within two months of taking the exam, she had applied to law school.
Andrea’s experiences in Africa continued to touch her education while in law school. She said the trip increased her interest and awareness of children’s rights and family law. The family system in Africa is much different than in the United States with African children often being treated as property. Andrea said those experiences influence the way you look at rights and countries’ legal systems. Most important, she said, “You must look at issues through a cultured lens.”
Andrea said, “I enjoy law school because it reminds me of my undergrad at UND. I still receive a lot of support, and the UND community is very close-knit.” Sometimes, she will even drop in to the English department where her undergraduate professors still remember her and are willing to chat or offer advice. The community and support here are important to Andrea as she balances her academic demands with her social and family responsibilities.
Law school is no small time commitment, but Andrea has more than just law school studies demanding her time. Not only is she studying for her Juris Doctor, but she is also working on a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice. In addition, she is a single mom and actively contributes to the community through the North Dakota Ballet Company (NDBC) where she is the Assistant Director of Development and Productions. The NDBC, a non-profit dance organization, is the official ballet company of North Dakota. Andrea teaches dance classes, choreographs for some performances, and performs in shows as well as completes her administrative duties. In regards to all of her obligations, Andrea believes, “When you have less time, you make better use of it.”
Andrea’s dance background instilled in her discipline and motivation, traits she has been able to draw on not only in law school but in all aspects of her life. Her current role with NDBC has allowed her to mentor youth in the community as well as provide discipline and guidance to them. Andrea strongly believes, “The more support a person has, the better equipped they are to be successful.” She wants to be able to offer support to others so they can be as successful as she has been. The ways she accomplishes this are through her teaching dance for NDBC, participating in single parent support groups, and individual mentoring to youth in the community.
After graduation this spring, Andrea plans to complete her Criminal Justice dissertation and eventually would like to become a professor. In this role, she can fulfill her goal of teaching as well as continue to offer guidance and share her passions with others.
By: Amy Jordan
