When Kwadwo Appiah started grad school at the University of Miami, everything looked bright. He was honored to have gotten into the LL.M, Master of Law program at the University of Miami, and he enjoyed his studies very much, but it didn’t take long before the costs started to add up. In 2022, Appiah decided it was in his best interest to move from Florida to Minnesota. Thanks to his prior work experience as an arbitrator in his home country of Ghana, Appiah was able to land a job at a law firm in the Twin Cities. He is a current student at NHCC, who is on the Student Senate Advisory Board and is listed as a Senator at Large. Appiah is working towards his paralegal certificate at NHCC and is expected to graduate by December of 2025.
We met up with Kwadwo for an eight question Q&A; read his responses, below!
- Can you share the main reasons why you decided to go back to school?
I came to Minnesota from Florida, and the reason I went back to school was because the jurisdiction as stated the in law in Florida, is quite different from the jurisdictional law in Minnesota. When I came to Minnesota, I got a job at Marcus-Jarvis Law Firm as a paralegal assistant, and I realized that I needed to upgrade myself and my education, to learn about the laws in Minnesota. That’s why I needed to come back to school and try to learn! Most of the work I do at the law firm is focused on immigration benefits and other civil cases. So, I needed to know the statutes that govern the state of Minnesota. I decided to enroll in the paralegal certificate program at NHCC. Apart from that, I think there’s a requirement that says people who work within a law firm should constantly be upgrading themselves to learn the current rules and laws in their state.
- Are you attending NHCC as a full-time student, or part-time student?
Because I'm working, I’ve been attending NHCC as a part-time student, but I always make sure I’m meeting the minimum six-credit threshold. At NHCC, I’m studying to get my paralegal certificate and I’ve been doing a hybrid of some in-person classes and some online classes. Since I’m taking classes part-time, it takes a bit of time. My goal is that I will finish next year. I should have my certificate by December 2025, that’s the plan and I hope I can stick to it.
- Was it tough to mentally get yourself into that going-back-to-school-mindset?
No. I’ve never struggled to get myself back into the school mindset, because within the legal profession, you are constantly reading. It’s just the way it is in this profession, you can’t be idle! If you become idle, how do you expect to be on top of your work at your job? In my profession, people continue to educate themselves until they are retired.
- Do you have words of wisdom for other adult students returning to school?
Yes. My advice for other adults returning to school is, know your purpose. Ask yourself before going back, ‘What do you want to achieve?’ Don’t discount yourself. Any previous experience that you have will add value to what is being taught in the classroom. During school I’ve noticed this about myself; I have more experience in the field of the courses in which I’m taking, because I am practicing it. I know it’s real and I know what they’re talking about when they mention something. I’ve seen it, I’ve felt it and I have experience with that. As opposed to maybe students learning these things for the first time, it can just feel like a theory, but for adult students who have prior knowledge, it is great because you’re not starting from scratch. New students haven’t studied these topics before, or fulfilled the learning requirements, they haven’t used the systems, or seen the aftermath of these situations. If you are an adult with work experience, who is coming back to school now, maybe you will have to adjust yourself a little bit to get in the mindset of doing schoolwork. But don’t underestimate the power of your practical experiences. That experience can add up to match the theories you’ll be learning about in class. I believe education is a continuous process. You should be able to continue as a student all the time, even if you’re an adult.
- How would you advise people returning to school who don't have practical experience?
I would advise other adult students that they should go back to school, and they should embark on this new journey with intention. Adult students going back to school should know the field they want to get into. They should start by taking classes based on their interests and try to have some sort of internship with the particular department, or the field/company that they think they're interested in. Internships teach students before they go into the field, so they know how to do certain tasks ahead of time. I think the practical aspect works better when you have prior experience. It saves you a lot of time. You don't imagine things and you know how they work in real life. It's like, you try to use your mind to imagine what the professor is mentioning, but if you had an internship, it’s like ‘Oh, yeah, I know this topic! This is what we did back then and here’s how to do it.’ What you’re studying suddenly becomes real to you and you really grasp it. If you don't know what you want to study, seek knowledge and always be prepared to ask questions. Don't feel shy. Talk to people and have a positive mind. The fact that you’re sitting in a classroom with someone else is an opportunity for you to open up and get to know them and experience them for who they are.
- Why did you decide to enroll at NHCC?
I shopped around for schools, and I considered proximity to my workplace (NHCC is just about 5 minutes from my work). And NHCC looked like a very good school! The percentage of people that exit the college and enter the workplace is great! About 75% of the people I’ve met in Minnesota say, ‘Oh, yeah, I went to NHCC!’ And 75% is a lot of people! NHCC has a basic platform. Especially because it is a community college, it offers a lot of flexibility for everybody to have access to education. I like flexibility and closeness to my workplace that NHCC offered. I also like that NHCC is part of the Minnesota State system, and it has a wide spectrum. You can continue your studies very easily after NHCC at any of the Minnesota State system colleges or universities. Another perk about NHCC is that their paralegal program is approved by the American Bar Association. That was important to me, since I have now registered as a member of the ABA. I even offered up myself to help the ABA in their Law Student Division National Appellate Advocacy Competition (NAAC) youth Mock Trial event that is coming up in 2025 and I’m going to be one of the guest judges.
- What goals do you hope to accomplish after you complete your certificate?
I'm looking at continuing my studies, so I can be ready when I’m called to take the bar exam, and I will meet the requirements of the state of Minnesota. Attorneys have requirements that they need to meet in order to be called to take the bar exam. Most of work that I did in Florida was different and unique to Florida territory. So having this paralegal certificate and hopefully going to Mitchell Hamline University will all help me to achieve my goals. My ultimate goal is to go to law school, take the bar exam and become an attorney. Then, after that I would like to go back to my country of Ghana to give lectures. I have spoken online on Zoom with my former school, where I studied law undergrad. But I would really like to get in touch with them later on, to bring my experiences and what I've learned at the law firm back to them and give back to society.
- How often do you go back to Ghana?
Almost every year, I try to go back to Ghana at least twice. A few years back, I did a semester research project in Ghana regarding the insurance industry. I researched how to include ADR (alternative dispute resolution) into the current insurance acts. This will enable parties (The insured public and the insurance company) to exhaust all the channels of ADR before resorting to the courts. I was in Ghana earlier this year, and I was going to visit over the summer, but because we have a shortage of staff at work, I could not go. But I will go back again before the end of this year!
Thank you for answering our questions, Kwadwo! We wish you the best of luck as you progress in your paralegal certificate and career. Happy Paralegal Day!