“Every step you take is a step forward for every woman behind you; you are the next
generation of giants.” That’s what Brooke López said as she opened up the UTD
International Women’s Day Brunch on Friday, March 8th, 2024. The UTD Pre-Law Advising
Office and UTD Women Pursuing Law hosted the event with three incredible speakers, a
brunch spread, and a networking session to connect college students to well-established
women in their fields.
As a UTD alumnus, Brooke López began the brunch with an inspiring speech about her
background and why she decided to pursue a legal career. She talked about the racial
disparity that she witnessed growing up. She spoke of the violence and murders that were
perpetrated against her people by white members of her community. She took that pain
and that prejudice and used it to fuel her educational journey, becoming the first person in
her family to graduate from higher education and the first person to graduate from law
school. Brooke López uses her experience to “lift the next generation on her shoulders.” We
rise as giants to pave the way for the generations that come after us. She now works in
Dallas for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, fighting against
discrimination in the workplace, including racism.
The next speaker was Samantha Park, a volunteer coordinator for the Genesis Women’s
Shelter. She emphasized the importance of a support system for women who suffer from
abusive situations. When asked what she wanted the women at the brunch to take away
from her speech, she said she hoped to emphasize the importance of simply speaking about
domestic violence. As uncomfortable as a conversation about domestic violence is, if more
people understand how effective speaking up against domestic abuse can be, she considers
that a job well done.
Next, Averie Bishop spoke as the keynote speaker. Averie Bishop is a SMU Dedman School
of Law graduate, a Miss Texas, and a future hopeful for the Texas House of Representatives.
She is running against Republican incumbent Angie Chen Button for the 112th District of
Texas. Many might even know her from social media, where she holds a collective following
of over 1 million people. She spoke about her rise to fame on social media, her father
running for the Mayor of McKinney’s office, and her experience being Miss Texas 2022. She
understood her legacy as an Asian-American woman. She emphasized that the future
leaders of Texas and even the United States were in that room and that it was vital to curate
these relationships with the future leadership. As she talked about her legacy, she implored
her audience that our priority should be to “[plant] the seeds for the future trees to grow
tall and provide shade to our future daughters.”
Finally, Dominique Lange, the UTD Pre-Law Advising Office’s Program Manager, closed the brunch with touching remarks. The brunch marked the end of her time here at UTD, and as
she reminisced about her experience, she left her students and friends with one phrase. As
women, as we move upwards through our lives, we should “send the elevator back down”
as we do it. That we should leave an impact as we navigate the complexities of everyday
life. We should recognize the progress that women have made in the legal field and give
those opportunities to young women who need them. As a woman whom Dominique has
helped and advised during her time here, I thank her for all of her efforts for the UTD Pre-
Law community and wish her the best in all of her new endeavors.
As we move further into Women’s History Month, the theme was clear at this brunch. As
women, we should be uplifting and supportive of our fellow women. We should nurture the
ambitions and desires of young girls and uphold a legacy upon which future generations
can build.