Colleen Swim

My Greatest Accomplishment

Helping to repair the fractured lives of vulnerable kids is a small-wins line of work, so it’s hard to point to a single accomplishment. What makes me proud to be a child advocate is making my clients smile. Finalizing a child’s adoption or helping them secure transportation to go to school may only be a small part of my day, but those things are life-changing for my clients. Helping them with their greatest accomplishments is my greatest achievement.

How Drexel Helped

I wrote my law school admission essay on my goal of becoming a guardian ad litem (to act legally on behalf of a child), and I can credit Drexel with giving me the tools to make that so. After working for two judges and competing on the moot court team, I felt comfortable in a courtroom and ready to take on real-world clients. Drexel’s experiential learning and advocacy opportunities allowed that to happen.

Where I’ll Be In Five Years

Whether it’s policy work or direct representation, I know I will still be working to improve the lives of children and families. From education to juvenile justice, there’s so much more work to be done.