Cassandra Barrett ’19
Staff Writer
She always knew that she wanted to go to law school, and she has finally made that dream a reality.
Caitlin Dryden, a senior politics major, grew up with parents who were both in the legal field. Michael Dryden ’90, and Maria Elena Dryden ’90, always pushed their daughter to work hard and follow her dreams, and were ecstatic to realize that her dream was to pursue a career in the legal field, just like them.
But her parents were even more excited to discover that Dryden had been accepted to the Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law. To add to all of the excitement, she was also the recipient of a full tuition scholarship.
Dryden is not only profoundly grateful to her parents for motivating and inspiring her to pursue a career in the legal field, but she is also thankful to Dr. Benesch, associate professor of politics and director of pre-law, for being a driving force on her path to law school. Dryden also credits her friends for being her biggest supporters while reaching her goals.
“Truthfully I can’t thank my friends enough,” Dryden said. “Whether they know it or not, good or bad, every single one of them has played a part in pushing me toward my goals.”
Dryden is eager to begin her post-graduate career at Drexel University, and is now considering which field of law most interests her. She is currently interested in trial advocacy because she has always had an interest in advocating for others. However, she remains open-minded, excited to learn at Drexel.
“I have a long way to go in deciding specifics but I’m excited to start working and learning within a more narrow scope toward my goals,” Dryden said.
Through her time at Lebanon Valley, Dryden has taken the opportunity to be involved both on and off campus. She currently serves with the Valley Blue Coats, a group that interacts with Lebanon Valley College donors and alumni at campus events and also raises philanthropic awareness among the student body.
Dryden also studied abroad in Maastricht, Netherlands, and participated in the European Union Simulation in Washington D.C. She has interned with the Montgomery County Courthouse, the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania and La Torre Communications, to name a few.
Though Dryden is eager to look toward her future, she also takes time to look back on her time and experiences at LVC and to appreciate how far she has come as a student and individual.
“I am a drastically different person, in all the best ways, than I was when I stepped onto LVC’s campus four years ago,” Dryden said. “I’ve grown up a lot and I think the environment at LVC is something that helped me do that.”
Although Dryden anticipates to be quite busy during the next three years at Drexel University, she still hopes to be an active alumna during law school and long after that. During her time at The Valley, Dryden has acquired valuable skills and learned many important lessons, all of which have guided her on her path to success. After reflecting on the last four years, Dryden has a piece of advice to share with current and future Dutchmen to help them reach their goals and exceed their expectations.
“Don’t let yourself get weighed down by the idea of what the college experience should be,” Dryden said. “Live it your own way, make mistakes, learn and grow.”