ACE alum Ezrah Bryant graduated from LMU in 2012. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history with a minor in psychology. Afterward, he earned his J.D. from the University of Loyola Chicago School of Law. We sat down with Ezrah to discuss his educational and career journeys.
How did you choose your major and minor while at LMU?
I've always been interested in history from a young age and was always into writing. So that was important to me. And then the psych minor was something that I was interested in as a freshman because my brother ... and sister [were] psych major[s], so it just kind of blended together, and I thought that it would be a good choice ... if I were to go into the legal field later on.
What inspired you to pursue a career in law?
Our family owns a number of acres of land in the South, and it was deeded to us many, many years ago, so we had been trying to fight the state to keep that land. I remember my family just having conversations stating, "I wish we had a lawyer in the family that could help us." I remember that as a child, which prompted me to start looking into law school initially. I met so many other people who were respected and that I looked up to when I was coming up, especially in high school and college, who were just doing great work as lawyers, and so that's what sparked my interest.
Why did you decide to study law at Loyola University Chicago?
I was initially interested in pursuing a law degree in Chicago because I was a part of a pre-law scholarship program through a law firm called Sidley Austin. That's where former President Barack Obama and his wife met as associates, and they had a great reputation; so, the firm flew me out to Chicago during the summer. I did some touring there, and I decided to apply ... to Loyola University Chicago. It also had a faith-based background, just like LMU, and that was important to me if I were to become a lawyer and continue to have my morals and ethics as a Christian.
Describe your work as a privacy officer and equal employment opportunity officer.
In my role as a privacy officer and equal employment opportunity officer, I'm helping to ensure that Pepperdine has a more diverse workforce. That's really important to me, and I think that diversity is something we all need to increase our understanding of and make substantial steps to protect our employees who work in these institutions so that they are accepted and appreciated by that institution.
How did ACE help put you into the position you're in now, and what were the most meaningful or impactful aspects of your experience during ACE?
I always reference ACE because that was my first introduction to really challenging work. Mr. Neal has always been someone that I've looked up to from my time at LMU, and he had always encouraged me to do my best in college and pursue whatever dream I had. So ACE really set a tone for me while I was at LMU to stay focused. And I think ACE really helped to reward my focus and my drive for going on to law school. ACE provides a good space for students who want to learn and appreciate their college experience from an academic perspective, thrive, and be around other like-minded students. I think that that was the greatest gift ACE gave to me. Without ACE, I know that I wouldn't have been able to get my law school applications out and pursue that profession.
