When she was a Cobber, Leslie Bellwood ’15 didn’t imagine herself in law school. In fact, throughout her time at Concordia, Bellwood planned to attend medical school and become a doctor after graduation.
That began to change, however, when she took the Religion 200 course taught by Dr. Michelle Lelwica, professor of religion. While taking that course, Bellwood discovered a deep passion for interfaith studies, so much so that she decided to change from a chemistry and biology major to a religion major.
As a religion major, Bellwood served as the Interfaith Scholar for the Forum on Faith and Life. She worked closely with Dr. Jacqueline Bussie, the director, to design and implement the interfaith studies minor. The minor was approved for the 2016-17 academic year, making Concordia one of only 15 colleges in the country to offer such a program.
Bellwood began to realize the human impact interfaith studies could have when she worked on her senior thesis.
“Through writing my senior thesis, where I argued that doctors should incorporate interfaith literacy and dialogue into patient care, I realized I was interested in addressing systemic issues through implementing policy,” Bellwood said.
After graduation, Bellwood remained in the Fargo-Moorhead area and worked as the administrative assistant and event planner for the Forum on Faith and Life, as well as at local nonprofits. It’s during this time that she decided to apply to law school.
When deciding where to apply, she looked for a school whose inclusive culture was similar to Concordia’s.
“I decided to apply to the University of Minnesota, which focuses on forming a community rather than being competitive,” she said.
In her application, Bellwood included a statement that focused on the ways her interfaith education gave her practical knowledge and skills that gave her a strong foundation for law school. She was accepted to the University of Minnesota School of Law, where she currently attends as a first-year law student.
Outside of legal studies, she keeps it light and enjoys singing. She also acted in a Law School/”Lord of the Rings” parody musical put on by U of M law students.
Bellwood has this advice to offer students who wish to pursue a career in law: “Find ways to engage with people who come from a different perspective than you. So much of law school is navigating gray areas, so learning how to see different sides of an issue is invaluable.”