For Ilitch School alum Adrian Russell, a future in law is rooted in service

Ever since he was young, Adrian Russell '23 has looked up to lawyers and wanted to become one.

"I watched the show Suits a lot as a kid," said Russell. "I liked Harvey Specter; he just seemed so cool. He always solved the problem, and no matter what case was in front of him, he found a way to win."

When Russell started college, he asked an advisor for a plan of study that would put him on track for law school and was discouraged when they told him his law school dreams were too far out of reach.

Then he came to Wayne State University and earned a bachelor of science from the Ilitch School; he now plans to attend Wayne State Law School on a full ride after receiving the prestigious Damon J. Keith Scholarship Award.

When he first joined the Ilitch School, Russell came to study marketing and was happy to be closer to home.

"Wayne State was one of my top choices before, and it was so close to home," said Russell. "I did football camp at Wayne State Stadium when I was in high school, so I kind of always had the school in mind."

At the Ilitch School, Russell found the Multicultural Professional Readiness Education Program (MPREP) during his sophomore year. This organization provided him with the support he needed when times were hard and the push he needed to pursue opportunities he never considered.

"It felt like a total 180," said Russell. "The support, the help, and the mentors were fantastic. I got to talk to different companies and see what my career would look like. Every week we would have a different company come out, give us a brief on today's world, and tell us about job positions and encourage us to apply for internships."

The MPREP learning community focuses on encouraging, supporting and retaining undergraduate business students. MPREP Scholars are part of a community focused on professional development, academic success, and highlighting authentic student experiences. MPREP also pairs students with mentors, which Russell says made a big difference in his career trajectory.

"My mentors showed me how they got to where they are today, and even post-graduation they are really there to support me," said Russell. "I remember one mentor Sabrina. She was an executive VP of sales at Microsoft, and she told me about how she got her start working. She gave me a blueprint for how to get to where she is now."

MPREP was there for Russell beyond his educational and professional experiences. When he lost his grandmother during his time as an undergraduate student, their support helped him continue.

"They were really there to support me when I lost my grandmother in my junior year," said Russell. "They gave me all the space I needed and asked me if there was anything I needed to make sure I was ok."

Russell also landed his first internship with MPREP's help, which he turned into his first full-time job post-graduation.

"I was a zone manager, doing parts and repairs," said Russell. "I was going to the customer center at Ford, and I would help connect with local shops, get them OEM contracts with Ford glass so they were actually getting the standards in place and the tools they need to qualify for the Ford programs."

This internship turned into a full-time job upon graduation, allowing Russell to start his career and apply what he learned in the classroom.

"My stats class showed me how to put numbers to products and look deeper into how much profit they made," said Russell. "In one of my final business classes, we were looking at different business cases and how people run various businesses. These classes showed me how to work hard, what type of work it would take to actually run a business and the kinds of risks you have to take sometimes."

As Russell continued his career, he was looking for a way to connect with his community and give back. He found this opportunity through the Community Navigator program.

"My neighbor was a community navigator working with nonprofits all over the state for years. She got me working on political canvassing, which is what I'm working on now," said Russell. "I love to see the impact on real people, because a lot of times when you're working in business you don't really see the impact on the everyday person, but with this job I actually get to be directly involved with my community, talk to people and make an impact on their lives."

Russell was spending his days connecting with his community and his nights studying for the LSAT to pursue his law school goals. His role as a community navigator has helped fuel his passion to use the law to make a positive impact on people's lives.

"My job helped me formulate my essay for law school. Barack Obama was also a community organizer before law school and he was someone I looked up to before college, so I feel like our paths overlap," said Russell. "If I didn't take this community navigator role, I probably wouldn't have gotten the award because I talked a lot about the impact of what I'm doing in the city of Detroit."

Russell applied for the Damon J. Keith Scholarship Award, which covers four years of law school for the recipients. The award is named for U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Damon J. Keith, who served on the bench for over 50 years, ruling on landmark civil rights cases that broke color lines in corporations and desegregated public schools.

This award is available for students who graduated from Detroit Public Schools, an HBCU, a Hispanic-Serving Institution or a Tribal College or University. Russell said this award lets him know that all his late nights studying and long days in the classroom and office were worth it.

"It feels amazing; it feels like my hard work has paid off," said Russell. "I want to stay in law school. I am not 100% sure what type of law I want to practice because I still have that passion for business, but I also have this part of me that wants to give back and do good work in the community. I'm thinking of going into nonprofit or constitutional law. I'll have to figure that out."

Russell's current work as a community navigator involves running a program that aims to prevent gun violence in the City of Detroit. He travels to schools, community centers, churches and any other venues that will host him to share his knowledge of gun safety, pass out free gun locks and shares his story to encourage people to peacefully resolve problems.

"I was raised by my stepfather who was hit by a stray bullet. I saw how those things affect people and the effect of growing up in Detroit with so much gun violence, it is very serious," said Russell. "We go out into the community and show people how to use gun locks, how to safely store firearms and how to keep them out of reach of children."

As he begins his law school journey Russell will continue to seek opportunities to make an impact, while using his education at Wayne State University to advance the work he is doing to prevent violence.

"I want to make a difference, and the work that I am doing as a community navigator fuels this passion and my passion for the law where I can have an even greater impact," said Russell. "I am so grateful for the support I received from Wayne State and from MPREP. Law school is tough, but I know with their continued support I can see it through."

-Patrick Bernas, Information Officer III