2026 Winner Of The Ashley Stewart Memorial Scholarship

Sonia Woods

We are thrilled to award $1,000 to Sonia Woods, a law student at Saint Louis University School of Law. Sonia is a single mom of three and a domestic violence survivor – both of which experiences have enlightened her to how complex the legal system can be. Nagle & Giese cannot wait to hear more about what Sonia will achieve!

Read Their Essay Here:

If someone had asked me ten years ago whether I would become a lawyer, I would have said no without hesitation. At that point in my life, I was focused on surviving each day rather than planning my future. As a survivor of domestic violence, I understood what it felt like to live with uncertainty, fear, and the overwhelming responsibility of protecting my children while trying to rebuild my life. During that time, I experienced firsthand how intimidating and confusing the legal system can be when you are already carrying the emotional weight of trauma. I realized that survivors are often forced to navigate legal issues involving safety, finances, housing, and custody at the very moment they feel least equipped to do so. Those experiences profoundly shaped my perspective and ultimately inspired me to pursue a legal education. I knew I wanted to become the kind of attorney who not only understood the law but also understood the people behind each case and the courage it takes to ask for help.

My path to law school was anything but traditional. Before enrolling, I built a successful career in healthcare technology where I managed complex projects and solved operational problems. From the outside, my life appeared stable, but I could not ignore the feeling that I wanted to make a more direct impact on people's lives. Leaving that career meant walking away from financial security, something that is especially difficult as a single mother of three children. It was not a decision I made lightly. I knew that law school would require years of sacrifice, uncertainty, and financial strain, but I also knew that my children deserved to see their mother pursue a career she was genuinely passionate about. I wanted them to understand that it is never too late to pursue a dream and that difficult circumstances do not have to determine the rest of your life.

My first year of law school tested every part of that decision. Although I attended Southern Illinois University School of Law in Carbondale, I continued living in the St. Louis area because remaining close to my children was never negotiable. That meant spending countless hours commuting between Maryland Heights and Carbondale while balancing the responsibilities of law school and parenthood. My days often began before sunrise and ended long after dark. When I returned home, I was still responsible for preparing dinner, helping with homework, getting my children ready for bed, and managing the countless responsibilities that come with raising a family alone. My youngest child was still very young, and my son has special needs, requiring additional appointments, therapies, and advocacy. Like many parents of children with disabilities, I have learned that advocating for him is a responsibility that never truly ends. Only after my children were asleep could I finally sit down with my casebooks and begin preparing for class the next day. There were nights when I was exhausted before I ever opened a book, but I reminded myself that every page I read brought me one step closer to building a better future for my family.

Despite those challenges, I refused to let my circumstances become an excuse for lowering my expectations. If my children were sacrificing alongside me, then I owed it to them to make those sacrifices meaningful. I approached law school with the mindset that I was not there simply to earn a degree—I was there to excel. That determination resulted in Dean's List honors, the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Civil Procedure, and finishing my first year near the top of my class. Those accomplishments are meaningful because they were earned while balancing responsibilities that extended far beyond the classroom. Every outline I completed represented late nights after bedtime routines were finished. Every exam reflected hours of studying during lunch breaks, in parking lots while waiting to pick up my children, or whenever I could find even a few uninterrupted moments. My academic success is not the story of someone who had every advantage; it is the story of someone who refused to allow adversity to define the outcome.

This fall, I will transfer to Saint Louis University School of Law to continue my legal education closer to home. The opportunity to remain in St. Louis will allow me to spend more time with my children and reduce the burden of commuting, but it also presents new financial challenges. As a single parent, pursuing a legal education means constantly balancing tuition, books, childcare, housing, and everyday living expenses. There are many moments when I am unsure how everything will come together financially, but those moments have never changed my commitment to becoming an attorney. Instead, they have strengthened my resilience and reinforced my belief that this profession is worth every sacrifice. Each obstacle I overcome reminds me that perseverance is not about avoiding hardship—it is about continuing forward despite it.

My experiences as a survivor of domestic violence continue to shape the attorney I hope to become. I understand that legal problems rarely exist in isolation. Clients often come to an attorney carrying fear, uncertainty, and the emotional burden of circumstances that have affected every aspect of their lives. Whether I ultimately practice employment law, health law, medical malpractice, or another area of civil litigation, I intend to use my legal education to advocate for individuals who need someone willing to stand beside them during some of the most difficult moments of their lives. I also plan to dedicate part of my career to supporting survivors of domestic violence through pro bono representation, partnerships with legal aid organizations, and volunteer service. I know what it feels like to need someone who will listen without judgment, explain the legal process with compassion, and help restore a sense of control over the future. I want every client who walks into my office to leave feeling heard, respected, and empowered, regardless of the legal issue they are facing.

More than anything, I hope my children remember this chapter of our lives not because of the obstacles we faced, but because of what those obstacles taught us. They have watched me leave a successful career to pursue a dream that many people considered unrealistic. They have watched me spend hours commuting to law school, studying late into the night, and continuing to move forward despite financial uncertainty and personal challenges. I hope they learn that resilience is not something people are born with but something they develop every time they choose not to give up. Becoming an attorney will provide my family with financial stability and opportunities that once felt out of reach, but it will also allow me to use my own experiences to advocate for others who are rebuilding their lives after unimaginable hardship. Receiving this scholarship would ease the financial burden of law school, but more importantly, it would be an investment in an attorney whose commitment to advocacy has been shaped by lived experience, strengthened through perseverance, and driven by an unwavering belief that every person deserves a voice, compassionate representation, and the opportunity to build a better future.