"Every challenge is for a reason": UOG alum comes home to practice law
"Every challenge is for a reason": UOG alum comes home to practice law
"Every challenge is for a reason": UOG alum comes home to practice law
9/8/2023
When Travis John Cabe Aguon graduated from the 91快播 in 2019 with degrees in and , it provided him with a launch pad to do more.
The magna cum laude alumnus initially taught English to 9th-grade students at Okkodo High School.
鈥淚 chose to pursue a degree in education because I came from a long line of teachers, and so it made sense to me that I become a teacher as well,鈥� Aguon said. 鈥淚 was very passionate about teaching because I have always enjoyed helping students reach their fullest potential.鈥�
But when COVID hit, Aguon paused his teaching career. He decided to shift to law school and attended Seattle University School of Law.
Today, he鈥檚 back home, in Guam, with a newly minted Juris Doctorate degree. He graduated in May 2023 and is a bar exam result away from practicing law.
He hopes to start his law career as an associate attorney at the Arriola Law Firm.
He also aspires to be a mentor to future aspiring law school students from Guam.
鈥淢y long-term goals include eventually starting my own law firm and establishing a system that can allow aspiring lawyers access to essential information related to studying for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), applying to law schools, etc.,鈥� he said.
Mentoring others is his way of showing appreciation to those who helped guide him through his academic path at UOG.
鈥淢y UOG mentors really encouraged me to push the boundaries and to go after all the things I wanted and more!鈥� Aguon said.
His main UOG mentors were Dr. Michelle Santos at the School of Education and Dr. Christopher Garcia at the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.
Before he left Guam for law school, Aguon was active in the local theater scene.
He was part of 鈥淢ulan Jr.鈥� and 鈥淭he Little Mermaid" in high school, and performed in popular hit musicals in Guam such as 鈥淢iss Saigon鈥� in 2016, 鈥淩ENT鈥� in 2018, and 鈥淢amma Mia!鈥� in 2019.
He believes his theater experience will help him in the legal arena.
鈥淓ssentially, both involve sharing your story and convincing the audience to believe your story,鈥� Aguon said.
For UOG students who are experiencing struggles, Aguon shared that the years of sacrifice to stay in college until they graduate will pay off for the rest of their lives.
鈥淓very challenge is for a reason,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey may not recognize what that reason is right now, but they will years down the line."
鈥淔inally, one thing that always got me through every challenge in school was something that my dad always told me: 鈥楾hey can take away your car, and they can take away your house; however, nobody can ever take away your education.鈥�"
鈥淚t is this exact quote that got me through law school when I felt that I could not do it, and I am standing here today as a first-generation lawyer,鈥� Aguon said.