How an NYU law student spends her Sundays
Talia Scott claims she wasn't cloned. But how else are you supposed to explain everything she does? She is a dual-degree student at New York University, where she attends both the business and law schools.
“I always need sleep, but I'm okay with sacrificing sleep,” said Ms. Scott, 26, who grew up in Harlem. “Living your dream life has a price. I am the first person in my family to go to college. Now that I'm here, I dream bigger for myself.”
In 2020, as Black Lives Matter protests swept the country, she founded the organization Legal BLK Fund, a nonprofit organization that helps Black women with law school fees and the LSAT, as well as access to counseling services and mentorships. “I wanted to help other Black women have an easier, better experience than I did,” she said. “Most people say, 'It's crazy that you're doing all this,' but they're not surprised when they know who I am. I exceed society's expectations of me.”
Ms. Scott lives in a two-bedroom apartment in campus housing in Manhattan's NoHo. “I have a roommate, but we have different schedules and hardly see each other,” she said.
DEEP SLEEP I'm a heavy sleeper, plus I'm exhausted because I go to bed at 3 am during the week. I set five alarms, three or five minutes apart, because I sleep through them all. I keep my iPhone on my dresser, so I have to physically get up to turn off the circuit noise. At 8 am I check and respond to texts or emails.
TIME FOR MYSELF When I run out of food, I go to Trader Joe's because they have great products at good prices and I'm trying to save money and eat healthier. It's a seven-minute walk down Spring Street, which gives me a chance to de-stress. It feels like me time. I'm listening to a podcast; right now it's “Balanced Black Girl,” which is about navigating life as a young black woman, taking care of yourself and building community. Or I listen to a random Spotify mix based on my listening pattern. Usually it's a mix of R&B, pop and Afrobeats.
My favorite items from Trader Joe's are their sweet plantain chips, chicken shawarma bowls, vanilla ice cream, and coffee. If it's a training day I go to Equinox on Bond Street. The dream in my head is to run the marathon, so I do the treadmill and StairMaster.
VIRTUAL THERAPY At home, I shower, get dressed and get ready for my virtual therapy appointment at 10am. It took time to find a younger, black woman who fit my personality and understood the grind culture. I found her on Therapy for Black Girls, which allows you to match with black therapists in your area. We go through life updates and things I focus on: mental and physical well-being; define borders; and managing my stress, anxiety and expectations.
STREAMING CHURCH I fold and put away recently done laundry that I haven't had time for until now. I drink water or a strawberry lemonade kombucha from Synergy and watch Transformation Church live streaming on YouTube, which I watch on my TV. They are located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I love Pastor Mike Todd. The community and culture are great. Every week there is a different theme. Right now it's a series called 'Damaged but Not Destroyed'. There are a lot of pop culture references so it isn't old and dated. It gives me the feeling of being seen.
LAST BRUNCH I like a late brunch. At 1:30 PM I make an egg white omelette with turkey bacon, vegetables and hash browns or avocado toast. I drink a Trader Joe's Cold Brew Coffee with coconut and almond oat creamer and a dash of Torani French vanilla syrup. Then I check emails and do legal BLK Fund work.
When I was applying to law school and working as a paralegal, the application process was extremely difficult to navigate. I couldn't afford a tutor and had trouble tackling the LSATs. I didn't have a mentor who looked like me. I did not have the same access to financial resources and realized that this could hinder my ability to attend law school. On Juneteenth, I made a one-off institutional call for the Legally BLK Fund on Instagram. Within a few days I received $17,000 in donations. Three years later, we have 60 women who are members of the Legally BLK Fund, whom I regularly contact via text, emails or chats. I read essays, give advice and read their law school applications.
SCHOOL WORK From 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM I do homework for the business school. Right now that includes preparing for informational coffee chat interviews with various bankers because I'm applying for an investment banking position for the summer of 2024. Then I'll go on a silent Zoom I created with a bunch of law students. There are 25 of us getting on at different times. It gives me a sense of community and ensures that I don't feel alone in the stress. Everyone is at home and on camera. We wave or say hello in the chat. Everyone is really focused.
MEAL Around 6 p.m. I'm on the C subway on my way to Harlem to have dinner with my mother and sister. They still live in the house where I grew up. There is a different kind of community feeling in Harlem than in NoHo. At school I am surrounded by shops, eight different coffee shops and healthy eating places. Those things are missing in Harlem. Living down there makes me want to work harder.
COMFORT EATING When I eat at home, my mom makes fried ziti or pepper shrimp, or we go to Melba's, a well-known soul food restaurant a few blocks away. We have the same comfort food: fried catfish, macaroni and cheese, and collard greens. I love being home, but I also create my own life in NoHo, so this is about reconnecting with both of them. I helped raise my sister Tori, who is 12, so it's great to see this little person who is so excited to see me. We laugh as a family, talk about what trips we want to take and what movies we want to see.
TV THEN SLEEP I come home and make a to-do list. Usually my law student Yasmeen, who lives in my building, comes over around 9 o'clock to watch “Love Island Games” on Peacock. It's about contestants from previous shows – Britain, Australia and the United States, who get a second chance to find love and win $100,000. It's half strategy, half drama. Most people aren't there to find love. This semester, Yasmeen is studying abroad in Paris, so I watched the show on my own. Sometimes I send her screenshots of the episode, but that's not the same as having her here. Around midnight, I go to YouTube on my computer and play deep wave or sleep sounds for anxiety, which I fall asleep to.