Jessica Tehlirian

It all started in 2001 when I first learned about The Roeper School at an Education Expo in Southfield. My ears perked up with the thought of being able to attend a school that both sought to cultivate a student academically as well as internally. My dreams of attending this prestigious institution were momentarily shattered when I saw the price tag. However, after two years of applying and through the help of the amazing people at Roeper, I was awarded a full scholarship to cover my tuition and books.

When I started school at Roeper it was the first time I was encouraged to be myself and to participate in the things that interested me. For the first time my whole worth was not based on my GPA and to that end I was never made aware of what my overall GPA was while I was at Roeper. This, however, did not cause me to work any less. To the contrary, I found that taking the emphasis off of numbers and rankings made me want to work even harder at what I was passionate about.

It was on a typical day at Roeper when I unknowingly found my life’s calling. One day an attorney came to my class to speak with us about the profession. There was something so confident and bold that just flowed from his person and I wanted it! In high school there were few things that I dreaded more than public speaking, but seeing him speak to us in that manner stuck with me for years to come. Based on that fate encounter and the overall freedom that we were given at Roeper, I began to the path to becoming an attorney. After graduating from Roeper I went to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor where I was given early admission as well as a pretty hefty scholarship. I then went on to attend law school at The Florida State University College of Law. Thereafter, I passed the Florida Bar and began to practice foreclosure defense. After working in that capacity. I switched gears and became a prosecutor in December of 2015. I am now in school again at The Florida State University earning a free MBA degree in conjunction with working as a prosecutor.

Out of all of the schooling that I have had, I know that Jessica was shaped at Roeper. It is there where I met my closest friends and discovered so much about myself. I am eternally grateful that this school exists and I sincerely hope that it continues to be a place that fosters personal growth and respect for others.

With love,
Jessica Tehlirian, Esq., Class of 2007