Scholarship Success Journeys: Oxford Law Student Ashley Truban

By Matt Konrad

The students who earn scholarships from Scholarship America program sponsors pursue all kinds of educational paths—and, in some instances, those paths take them overseas. That was the case for Winchester, Virginia’s Ashley Truban, who received a Dunkin’ DMV Regional Scholarship in 2023 and who is now attending Oxford University in the UK.

The Dunkin’ Regional Scholarship Ashley received was one of 50 awarded each year to deserving high school seniors and undergrads in the Baltimore and Washington, DC metro area. We caught up with Ashley to talk about her academic goals, the impact of her scholarship, and the connection with a Scholarship America board member that helped clarify her path of study.

Scholarship America: Congratulations on your Dunkin’ Scholarship! Tell us a little bit about how you decided to pursue your degree at Oxford.

Ashley: I am currently a rising second-year law student at the University of Oxford. The UK university system doesn’t normally have any general-education classes, so I’ve been able to focus my time solely on law courses, each of which I’ve found interesting and enjoyable.

When I applied to university, I applied primarily as a finance/economics major at US colleges. UK universities allow you to apply directly into much more career-specific degree programs, so I applied to study law at UK schools. I feel my experiences in high school helped guide me through the college decision-making process; I am grateful for the opportunity to have explored and developed my interests in fields I am passionate about.

SA: How did your interest in a law degree start?

Ashley: I had the privilege to intern at a family law firm in my town during my junior and senior years of high school. Having this work experience was very inspiring for me; I found the experience of helping clients, particularly victims of domestic violence, extremely rewarding.

SA: And how did your experience with [Columbia adjunct professor and Scholarship America Board Member] Salman Ravala impact your journey?

Ashley: I took part in Columbia’s pre-college residential summer program during the summer before my senior year of high school (2022). I was extremely fortunate to be given the opportunity to take Professor Ravala’s “International Humanitarian Law: Regulating 21st-Century Warfare” class.

Professor Ravala and his class sparked my interest in international law specifically and reinforced my intentions to pursue the legal profession. When I decided to apply to the University of Oxford that fall, I discussed Professor Ravala’s class as a key contributing factor to my motivation to study law. Professor Ravala has had an extremely positive and encouraging influence on my professional and academic development.

SA: As you were looking for ways to pay for college, how did you find out about the Dunkin’ Scholarship?

Ashley: Scholarship America’s search features for scholarships were tremendously helpful for me when it came to applying for scholarships. The Dunkin’[DMV Regional] Scholarship is a program for students specifically in the wider geographic area I live in, so I was able to find the scholarship through the location filtering system on Scholarship America.

SA: How are you spending your summer, and what are you most looking forward to when school starts again?

Ashley: This summer, I’ve been working as a legal intern for The Advocates of Human Rights, a non-profit focused on promoting social justice initiatives and monitoring compliance with international human rights standards. My work as an intern has been focused on domestic violence advocacy work, an area I’m particularly interested in. I’ve found it rewarding to intern for an organization that has allowed me to play an active part in legal advocacy work and gain professional experience in a field I’m passionate about. When I return to school in the fall, I’m excited to become more involved in extracurriculars like mooting (simulated court proceedings) and to continue my coursework.

SA: What’s your dream or ideal plan right after graduating? How about in five years?

Ashley: Currently, my goal following graduation is to either attend US law school and work towards a J.D., or to take a bit of a break from academia and work before looking to go back to school. I’m not completely sure what I’d like to do right after I graduate, which I think is okay! I’m trying to utilize my time at university to explore different things and discover what I’m interested in pursuing professionally in addition to the legal field.

SA: If you could go back in time and give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?

Ashley: My main advice to my younger self would be to keep working hard and to stay focused on my goals, but also to enjoy the stage that I’m in and not always be rushing so fast towards those goals. The past couple of years have demonstrated to me the importance of enjoying the phase or place you’re currently in, while continuing to work hard and set goals for yourself.

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