Former Combat Medic Pivots Toward New Career in Law

ATLANTA - Brenda Washington (B.A. '26) joined the U.S. Army to pay for college. She intended to serve a few years and move on. A few years turned into a career as a combat medic before moving into civilian life working in real estate.

When Washington decided she wanted to attend college, she was intentional about where she planned to go. For nontraditional students returning after years away, the path back to a degree rarely follows a straight line. Georgia State's Perimeter College offered a more intimate setting - a place to rebuild her footing before taking on a larger campus.

"Taking this path allowed me to ease back into an academic environment without feeling overwhelmed," she said.

Washington planned the move to the Atlanta Campus from the beginning. She came in as an English major. Political science found her along the way, and once she added a prelaw concentration, the direction locked in. Courses on courts, public policy and civil liberties confirmed her goal of becoming a lawyer.

"What I found was a sense of purpose and pride in being a part of something far greater than myself, so I stayed," Washington said. "Spending two decades in the military taught me that I have the strength, determination and courage to do absolutely anything."

Washington said a 2025 Maymester Judicial Field School, in which she visited courts across Atlanta and interacted with legal professionals, helped her determine what kind of attorney she wanted to be.

"That entire experience was transformative," she said. "Getting detailed insight into the disparities in funding and resources for public defense ultimately helped me decide that I wanted to advocate for the constitutional rights of the most vulnerable."

Stephanie Kerce, a lecturer in the Department of Political Science who teaches the Judicial Field School, called Washington one of the most interesting and diligent students she has taught at Georgia State. That assessment carried into Washington's next opportunity - an internship at the Georgia Capitol through the Georgia Legislative Internship Program.

Coordinating Rural Caucus meetings, managing communications and preparing legislative materials for committee hearings, Washington got a close look at how legislation actually moves. What she witnessed stood out to her.

"I was surprised to see how complex the lawmaking process is and how much strategy and negotiation is involved to ensure that a bill is passed," she said. "It was also refreshing to be able to clarify some of the misconceptions about lobbyists and lawmakers."

The Capitol experience is one layer of a foundation she has been building across very different professional worlds.

The Army taught her to stay calm under pressure and lead when it matters. Real estate taught her to balance professionalism with empathy, particularly when guiding people through high-stakes decisions.

Washington carries all of those lessons forward, especially as a nontraditional student and mother. She is deliberate about what that example means, starting at home with her children.

"I want them to see that it's never too late to pursue your goals and that growth doesn't stop at a certain age or stage in life," she said. "A definitive timeline is not a metric for success."

When Washington walks across the stage at the Georgia State Convocation Center this spring, she will have moved from Perimeter College to the Atlanta Campus, from English to political science, from the Army to the Capitol - each stage, she said, building on the last.

"This journey hasn't been easy, but it was purposeful and meaningful," she said. "I didn't just return to school to earn a degree. I came back with a vision for what I wanted my next chapter to be."

Story by André Walker | Photo by Raven Schley