When Sydney Brandt (BSM '23) arrived at Purdue University, law school wasn't even on her radar. "I had no plans of going to law school ever," she says. "I was going to be a financial advisor."
A proud member of a Boilermaker family, Brandt says Purdue was always her top choice, even if she briefly considered Indiana University. "Purdue offered me a lot more opportunities," she says. "I was part of the Larsen Leaders Academy, which gave me incredible networking opportunities within the business community."
Those opportunities expanded when she took her first Introduction to business law course with Professor Cliff Fisher. "I really liked law from the start," she says. "Then I took his contracts course in the spring of my second year and absolutely loved it. That's when I decided I was going to law school."
Fisher's teaching style had a big impact on her. "He really challenged us to think," she says. "He always made us explain why, regardless of what we said. We applied what we were learning to real-life scenarios. All of his exams were based on news articles, which made it more engaging and practical. I even started applying that way of thinking in my daily life."
That curiosity and initiative led to an unexpected international experience. As part of Fisher's contracts course, students wrote short research papers. Brandt, along with classmate Beatriz Garcia, decided to submit theirs on free speech and social media for consideration at a conference. "We thought, what would it hurt? The worst they could say is no," Brandt says. "They said yes, and we got to travel to Oxford to present our research to a room full of lawyers from around the world."
For Brandt, a general management major who had never been out of the country before, the experience was transformative. She spent three weeks in Europe, arriving early to explore and staying after the conference to travel. How many opportunities am I going to have to be in Europe?" she says.
Today, Brandt is a rising second-year law student at Northern Kentucky University's Salmon P. Chase College of Law, with plans to focus on corporate and transactional law. "My end goal is to be in-house counsel for a company," she says. "That way I can combine my interests in business and law, working toward one company's goals while providing legal support and advice."
“My end goal is to be in-house counsel for a company. That way I can combine my interests in business and law, working toward one company’s goals while providing legal support and advice.”
The skills she developed at Purdue — especially in networking, communication, and problem-solving — have served her well in law school. "You don't necessarily think about it when you go to law school, but I can confidently say the majority of this field is networking — whether it's getting jobs, finding mentors or seeking advice," she says. "Purdue really emphasized that, especially in the Daniels School and Larsen Leaders Academy."
Her undergraduate research experience also gave her a head start. "In our first year, we have to take a research course," she explains. "Thanks to Professor Fisher's class, I was already familiar with platforms like Lexis and Westlaw. I even used them in my summer job."
Brandt also credits Purdue with instilling grit and discipline. "Law school takes a lot of time management and drive to keep going," she says. "Purdue's challenging courses taught me that with enough determination and continuous effort, you can do it."
Choosing NKU was a strategic decision. As a native of the tri-state area, she wanted to study where she planned to practice. NKU's Lunsford Academy for Business, Technology and Entrepreneurship, as well as opportunities like the Small Business and Non-Profit Clinic, sealed the deal. "It's a great location," she adds. "You have Covington, Northern Kentucky, and Cincinnati all right here."
Reflecting on her journey so far, Brandt points to one more Purdue legacy: the power of alumni networks. "Anybody you meet who went to Purdue and hears you're from Purdue - you instantly have a bond," she says. "It's the same at Chase. Alumni are almost always willing to meet with me and give advice, which has been invaluable as a first-generation law student."
From business classrooms in West Lafayette to law lectures in Northern Kentucky, Sydney Brandt's path shows how unexpected opportunities — and the mentors who inspire them — can change the course of a career.
