Alumni
Interview with:
CELESTE OGLESBY
JD, MBA
Director for the Office of Professional Development Celestine (Celeste) is the Director for the Office of Professional Development. Celeste has an integral role in areas of programming, counseling, and student development. Celeste joined Ave Maria School of Law in 2014. She is a graduate of University of South Dakota Law School, where she earned her Juris Doctor. Celeste graduated from Temple University and Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées School of International Management with two Masters of Business Administration degrees in International Business. Her undergraduate degree was a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing Management from Northwood University, Cum Laude. She has held various project management and marketing and communications roles in for-profit organizations, as well as legal roles in both domestic and international law firms.
Celeste, thank you for taking the time for this interview. You have been with the law school since 2014. How would you describe your experience being a part of the Ave Maria Law community?
Having graduated law school yourself, what information do you feel is most important to share with law students starting out in their journey?
When I look over my six year journey with the Ave Maria Law community, I am thankful for every student I have encountered, every colleague I have developed a connection with, and every faculty member who has helped make my job easier and my contributions successful. My full immersion into the career services, now professional development department, and the Ave Maria Law community, has allowed me to share my experiences, and to feel like I have made a great difference over the years. In addition, the experience has afforded me the opportunity to wear multiple hats, which have given rise to tremendous personal and professional growth. My goals were to always give my best at every task I approach, to make a difference, to become a multitalented, well-rounded individual who enjoys continuous professional development. My Ave Maria Law work experience helped me reach those goals.
The most important piece of advice I feel I provide when counseling students is to focus, listen, learn, ask questions, then develop a plan with multiple options, and when it comes to job strategies do not place all your eggs in one basket. Also, to stay open, flexible, and be willing to learn new things, and take on projects no one else wants.
What do you enjoy most about your current role as Director for the Office of Professional Development? There is no one thing I enjoy about my role, it is a culmination of all my responsibilities that keeps me motivated. I must say that developing relationships with the students as they begin their first year of law school and watching their growth process as they blossom into legal professionals is very rewarding. It is a great sense of triumph to see students reach their goals and become the professionals they envisioned.
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In addition to your job responsibilities, you are a part of Ave Maria Law’s Diversity Committee. What is your involvement and how do you see this committee evolving? What is your hope for this committee and its goals? Since serving as a committee member, I have been able to insert ideas, recommendations and try to gently nudge and change the mindset of the diversity committees’ focus. We are now taking on new initiatives that we anticipate should benefit the entire law school community. It has been a pleasure to work alongside a team of faculty, staff and students who now support and share the same goals. It is my desire to see continued growth, commitment, ongoing plans, consistent, and relevant change regarding diversity and inclusion. Currently, the committee is working on a strategic plan for Diversity and Inclusion, which will lay out our objectives and timelines. What is the best piece of advice you have been given that you carry with you throughout your career? The Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Simply put… treat others as you want to be treated.
