"I grew up in inner city Baltimore, and I have firsthand knowledge of how some have deferred their dreams, don't hope for anything better, and I hate to see that, especially in young people, knowing that 'there but for the grace of God,' there I could be if I didn't have supportive people in my life."

UMBC: How did you select UMBC for your undergraduate degree?

AW: I was involved in a program called College Bound, and I came to visit UMBC during my senior year on a field trip and I literally fell in love with it. The young lady who took us on a tour had just a glow about UMBC and she said she could not imagine herself anywhere else. When I walked around the campus, I saw myself there. It felt like a supportive, loving environment.

UMBC: For people who are not familiar with it, explain what it is to come to UMBC as a Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar.

AW: The program is far more than just a financial award. It's a program that really brings together faculty and mentors and students who are genuinely interested in public affairs and public policy. Throughout the four years, you have such a supportive group around you who help you to find internships and volunteer opportunities. They really help you chart your course as public servants.

UMBC: How did you become so interested in public policy and law?

AW: When I was 15 years old I was involved in a program called Law Links, and I interned with the Public Justice Center. That was probably my first interaction with anyone who went to UMBC, an attorney named Deborah Eisenberg, who did amazing work. That really piqued my interest at a very young age.

UMBC: What is it about public policy that excites you?

AW: It allows me to be proactive in addressing problems. So often we have to be reactive with problems that already exist, but public policy coupled with law allows you to take both avenues of service -- of being proactive in trying to not only alleviate, but eliminate problems, and also be reactive to problems that already exist.

UMBC: You have some lofty aspirations. Talk about some of your long-term goals for after law school.

AW: I would like to work with the Children's Defense Fund or the Department of Justice taking on issues of civil rights and juvenile justice issues. The lofty goal is to serve on the Supreme Court.

UMBC: Community service is a huge part of your life. What are some of the organizations you work with and what about that do you enjoy?

AW: The main group I work with is The Learning Bank. It's a learning resource center in downtown Baltimore and they provide GED preparation for adults who did not receive those skills in school, provide literacy tutoring, job placement, career development. I generally teach individuals how to read, so my students are age 20 to my oldest student who is 87. Many of them come to me so they can help their children, and I think that's a noble and very humble thing for them to do and I feel blessed to help someone along the way. What keeps me there is knowing that I'm touching one person, but there's a cumulative effect to what I do. I can't save the world, but I can at least do something to help someone. Maybe helping their child with their homework is the biggest thing in the world to them, so that keeps me going.

UMBC: There are many young people who will be inspired by your story. What advice would you give other young people to help them fulfill their goals and dreams?

AW: Doubt is the single most destructive force to our dreams. Successful people don't doubt that they can make it, and it's the only thing that separates those who succeed from those who don't. Failure allows us to learn powerful lessons and if we just try, there's nothing we can't accomplish. We all have the ability to, it's whether we want to.

UMBC: I understand you met Madeleine Albright - tell use more about that.

AW: (Chuckling) I had dinner with Madeleine Albright because she is the president of the Harry S. Truman Foundation. [Alicia is the recipient of a Truman Fellowship, a national award recognizing outstanding leadership and public service.] It was an amazing experience to talk to her and listen to her experiences and how she views the world and public policy. She really is a model for young women and men of how someone can beat the odds and accomplish great things despite the obstacles that lay in her path. She had on a pair of red shoes and I had on a pair of gold shoes and she said, "Now those are winning shoes!"

UMBC: You plan to specialize in law related to civil rights and youth issues. What inspired that interest?

AW: My mother and father are both Baltimore City schoolteachers and my brother has been a teacher for three years in Baltimore City. I grew up in inner city Baltimore, and I have firsthand knowledge of how some have deferred their dreams, don't hope for anything better, and I hate to see that, especially in young people, knowing that 'there but for the grace of God,' there I could be if I didn't have supportive people in my life. That includes mentors who took time out because they saw something in me, maybe something I didn't see. I really want to make that opportunity possible for other youths.