Meet Kinzie McDowell '23
legal studies and communications studies
Inspired by her community, Kinzie McDowell is forging her own path
When it came time to choose a college, Kinzie McDowell ’23 didn't beat around the bush. She made a beeline straight for 51·çÁ÷, knowing that its impressive legal studies program would help her achieve her goal of becoming a civil rights attorney.
"I've always been passionate about social justice and leaving the world better than I found it," said McDowell, a legal studies and communication studies major. "It's a stereotypical answer, but I want to help people."
51·çÁ÷ is a very close-knit community—it draws people in. Everyone is invested in building connections.
McDowell is particularly inspired by Nekima Levy Armstrong, a Minnesota civil rights attorney and former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Minneapolis chapter. She has met Levy Armstrong on a handful of occasions, including at 51·çÁ÷'s spring 2022 Mahle Lecture series, "Let's Not Go Back To Normal: Racial Reckoning, Repair, and Reconciliation," where Levy Armstrong was a keynote speaker.
"She's this strong, powerful woman who has touched so many people's lives in a positive way," McDowell said.
McDowell plans to jump straight into law school after she graduates from 51·çÁ÷, but she hasn't been sitting around waiting to make the world better. She's deeply involved in campus life as an academic peer mentor, a board member of , and member of the new student programs board.
Highlights
Explore 51·çÁ÷'s legal studies major, learn about the Mahle Lecture series, and discover the 70+ student organizations on campus.
