LATROBE, PA – Tessy Fletcher, C’24, a resident of Elizabeth, Colorado, always knew she wanted to go to Saint Vincent College. With parents hailing from Western Pennsylvania, she was raised on stories of the Steel Curtain and her grandfather’s days working in the coal mines. She admits her connection to the culture and the history of the area were deciding factors. In fact, she dreamed of working in public relations for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When she arrived at Saint Vincent as a communication major, her wish came true. She worked as a public relations intern during training camp and as a game day intern for a season. But when the experience was over, something didn’t feel right.
When Fletcher lamented to her mom, “I don’t know if this is what I want to do, but I put so much into it,” her mom reminded her: “God has a path for you.”
That new path took shape when she took Constitutional Litigation at Saint Vincent. Fletcher was hesitant at first and almost didn’t register for the class, but the required oral argument at the end of the semester changed her. She found the experience “very challenging but also very rewarding.”
The road to law school became more defined when she continued taking classes in criminology and developed relationships with professors like Dr. Eric Kocian and Dr. Bruce Antkowiak, C’74, who acted as mentors, championing her success. She credits the atmosphere at Saint Vincent for her growth and sense of purpose.
“There’s something magical about Saint Vincent,” she explains. “It’s a small school, but it's kind of a powerhouse, especially their criminology program. Dr. Kocian and Dr. Antkowiak are serious about shaping people who want to make a difference.”
A 2024 Saint Vincent graduate, Fletcher just completed her first year at Dickinson Law School, where she ranked first in her class.
“I studied really hard, and I got all As my first semester, which was shocking. And then my second semester was more of a struggle. But I came out the other side, and when I saw my rank, I just kind of laughed,” she remembers. “I don't really know how I'm doing it, but I'm hanging in there.”
This summer, Fletcher continues to stretch her constitutional law muscles with an internship at the district attorney’s office in Colorado, doing legal research, writing memos, and even drafting a few motions that have gone through to court.
Fletcher knows this journey will be challenging, but she has quickly adapted to a balanced lifestyle to handle it all. She stays connected with friends and professors at Saint Vincent, prioritizes her mental and physical health, talks daily to her mom on the phone, and reminds herself that “there’s a lot of things more important than class.”
Fletcher looks forward to returning to law school next semester and ultimately finding fulfillment in constitutional law. Citing St. Ives, the patron saint of lawyers as an influence, she sees it as “the best way to serve a community.” It's a path she embraces thanks to the confidence and clarity she gained as a Saint Vincent student.
