While she couldn't comment on much of her past work due to its classification, she was eager to share the varied ways her experience as a military officer prepared her for law school. The obvious ways it prepared her stemmed from the intensity and seriousness of her duties, and the hard work and discipline it instilled in her. Less obvious to her were the ways military service would end up developing her character—preparing her for the human side of law.

“People forget that the military is comprised of thousands of individuals from all across the nation. People from your neighborhoods,” she said. “Being an officer has developed my character in ways I never thought possible. I am able to empathize with people a little bit more.”

“I tried to keep in mind the military’s philosophy of People First, Mission Always,” she added. 

She practiced this human-centered approach throughout her time as an officer. Like the time at Scott Air Force Base when a soldier revealed privately to her that she was pregnant. As a female officer, Shantinique felt uniquely positioned to represent female voices.

A daughter of the military and divorce, Shantinique overcame her share of obstacles to get where she is today. Despite the upheaval that came with shared custody and moving every couple of years, she learned how to practice resilience as a young girl. From Alaska to Italy, where she spent much of her elementary years, to the Carolinas, Texas, and Missouri, what kept her steady was living under the structure of her “drill sergeant” father, discovering her love of music, and the wonder that came with traveling to new places. 

“We had ‘yes sir’ and ‘yes ma’am’ down pat,” she said with a laugh. “I really believe I had a wonderful childhood, I enjoyed being able to see the world and different societies.” 

Despite loving many aspects of being a military daughter, as a child watching her father leave for deployment after deployment, Shantinique believed wholeheartedly that the demands of military service were not for her. 

“If you would have asked me if I’d be joining the military someday, I'd have been like, ‘Yeah, please,’” she said.

Her parents were on board with this plan to chart a course outside of the military, instilling in her the idea that she could do anything that she put her mind to: “I served so you didn’t have to,” her father would say. 

Then in high school, a buttoned-up, shirt-tucked-in US government teacher at Ridgeview High in South Carolina lit a spark for that different path. His lectures on the three co-equal branches of government and the importance of voting inspired 17-year-old Shantinique. From that point forward, she knew she was heading toward a career in law and the stability and prestige that earning a postgraduate degree would bring.

“I knew that I wanted to help people and I also wanted to be educated,” she said. “Education is power. I wanted to use my power to uplift our community and give others opportunities.”

Then, straight out of high school and in a turn of events that surprised everyone (including herself), Shantinique began her journey to law school—by joining the military.

First, she worked as an Information Systems Technician in the Navy before becoming an Air Force Intelligence Officer, while majoring in Political Science at the University of Tennessee in Nashville.

Joining the military was not simply a means to an end for her. It was a choice she made born from a desire to gain leadership experience before starting her law career. She deemed it a valuable and honorable steppingstone.

“Being an officer in the military, we're taught to be a good example for your troops. People are looking at you. So being a good airwoman is a goal that I strive for and that's what I encourage others to do as well,” she said. “Trying to be a good leader and to always have integrity, obeying the standards, ensuring I'm fair and equitable, I think that's what's really important.”

After college, and a four-year tour of active duty, Shantinique knew at last that the time had come to pursue her dream of becoming a lawyer. With the skillset of a military officer and her hard-earned military benefits in tow, she enrolled at the University of Cincinnati College of Law (now the Donald P. Klekamp College of Law). She chose the College for its welcoming faculty and inclusive learning environment, seeing it as an opportunity to become the kind of lawyer she hoped to be someday

“Cincinnati Law encourages students to have our own opinions,” she said. “That’s something that drew me here and is continuing to shape my ideologies.”

As a law student, Shantinique continues to serve as a reserve Intelligence Officer in the Air Force, while balancing coursework, mentorship, and leadership opportunities on campus, including serving as a teaching assistant for Torts. 

“We never know when tomorrow is the last for us. I just want to do good, meaningful work while I’m here,” she said.

As a rising 3L entering the final stretch of her law school journey, if you ask Shantinique how law school is going, most days she is likely to reply: “I’m having a blast.” Not because her days are never packed to the brim, or the flawed justice system never weighs on her, but because even on those days, Shantinique seeks to find balance between what is hard and what is possible, just as she always has. 

“I always say bootcamp was fun. I wasn’t always smiling, but I like to make things enjoyable,” she said. “ I've been in a lot of serious situations and that’s  helped me to understand that no matter what phase you're in right now, try to make the best of it.” 

It helps that she also feels supported by the Cincinnati Law community to get through tough days. Her participation in various clubs such as Black Law Students Association, Entertainment and Sports Law, and Women in Law have broadened her network and offered her chances to learn in safe, inclusive spaces. 

“Sometimes I can give the wrong perspective that law school is easy,” she said. “But it’s just doing the best you can with what you have. The faculty, professors, and even the students are here to ensure that you succeed.” 

Creating her own schedule, waking up when she wants, and wearing what she wants are a few of the perks of being a law student. But without the structure of the military and having a drill sergeant keeping her on task, Shantinique said she’s had to learn a new kind of resilience. 

“Law school is where you get the mental toughness. It is a very rigorous program, and you have the flexibility to do what you want. I get to choose to study, or watch Netflix,” she said.

Sometimes her choice looks like picking up DJing gigs on evenings and weekends for fun. It’s one way she gives back to the community while doing something she loves. Since 2020, she has DJed corporate events, birthdays, weddings, military events, and most recently the law school’s Barrister’s Ball. 

“I really enjoy being able to curate a crowd with music…and add to somebody's joyful experience,” she said. “If I stay out late DJing, I prioritize my mental health by lining up my schedule. I make sure I still have my eight hours of sleep, I've already read for the next day, and I know the cases we're going over. When I prepare properly, I have flexibility and I'm not as burnt out—law school is a marathon not a race.” 

Before leaving her internship last summer, she and her supervising attorney got a special invitation to attend a going away party for one of their former clients. He was going to college on a football scholarship. 

“Seeing that young man being given opportunities, coming out of his situation to go to college, I'm like, ‘You need to be my mentor, you need to teach me resiliency,’” she said. “A lot of the kids sitting in juvenile detention right now are doing everything they need to do…they’re good kids, they just need opportunities.” 

As for Shantinique, she understands the importance of using the opportunities she’s been given and worked hard for to do good work. She is still figuring out what that will look like as a practicing lawyer someday—but hopes at the very least that her success will one day be a testament to others for what’s possible.

“I’ve worked hard and I’ve also sacrificed. Coming from the military helps me stay grounded, I don't forget where I came from,” she said. “I just want others to know that if I can do it, you can.  Because all of this is attainable given the right opportunities.” 

Want to learn more about our students and their journey to (and through) law school? Read more stories on the "Meet Our Students" page. See yourself at Cincinnati Law!   

Author: Bachmeyer Press

Photographer: Isaiah Armstrong