This fall, Vedagna Sarabu, a 15-year old resident of Pomona, will be heading off to law school on a full scholarship, after earning her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Cal State LA this month. The precocious legal student started her undergraduate education at Cal State LA at the age of 11, through the Early Entrance Program, which allows highly gifted students to get an early start to their bachelor’s degree.
As a child, Sarabu enjoyed reading fiction books and considered becoming an author, before setting her sights on the legal profession. “Growing up, I have observed family and friends who struggled emotionally and financially with legal issues, so my goal is to be trained and equipped to help people navigate through the legal system,” she said.
For her thesis project at Cal State LA, Sarabu documented first-person accounts of individuals who had spent time at a local emergency shelter facility for children in the foster care system. The shelter, called MacLaren Hall, is now closed and has a documented history of abuse.
She was a Dean’s List student at Cal State LA, and aside from academics, has volunteered as a tutor, and also worked as a law clerk for experience in the legal field. She will be the youngest senior among Cal State LA’s graduating cohort this year.
In a few months, she will head to Chapman University’s Dale E. Fowler School of Law on a full scholarship to pursue a juris doctor degree. She also received admission letters from law schools at Pepperdine University and Southwestern University.