Contracts, Torts, Constitutional Law, Legal Writing and Analysis…these are just a few of the courses Missouri State University alumna Sarah Lynne Skrzypczak has taken during her first year of law school at the University of Wisconsin.

Skrzypczak graduated from Missouri State’s Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Gerontology in 2021 with a degree in sociology and a minor in law and society.

Now, as she wraps up her first year in law school, Skrzypczak reflects on her time at Missouri State and how she got to where she is today.

Taking things one step at a time

When Skrzypczak first enrolled at Missouri State, she was an undeclared major. She spent a year and a half taking different courses, learning as much as she could while waiting to see where her path would lead.

“I was in no way sure of who I truly was or what I really wanted to do moving forward with my life,” she said. “I just knew I liked to learn.”

By her sophomore year, however, Skrzypczak knew her future rested with sociology.

“Once I had gotten into the program, [there] was never a doubt that I was happy to be where I was in terms of academic progression and my own knowledge,” she explained. “Sociology for me was fun, complex and intriguing to learn about.”

“Learning of other cultures, studying the past, learning about people in general, I’ve always just been curious,” she said. “Sociology was a great way to get a better grasp on those things I found interesting. It was easy to learn about because I had always found it so fascinating in the first place.”

From sociology to law

Studying sociology led Skrzypczak to choose law as a career.

“Other studies such as criminology, pre-law and political science are all great to study before moving forward in law,” she said. But for her, sociology was the best choice because it included aspects of all those other disciplines.

“In a sense they all intertwine,” she said. “Sociology kind of seems like a bit of all of them plus more and just gives you a broader look on things.”

Still, Skrzypczak tailored her studies to include specific law-related courses with her minor in law and society. This gave her “a nice foundation of legal knowledge before moving into law school,” she said.

Professors inspire, support and guide

Skrzypczak’s professors at Missouri State provided her with important practical experience and intellectual guidance.

For practical experience, Skrzypczak worked with Associate Professor of Sociology Dr. Laura Hart on the Point In Time (PIT) Annual Count for the Greene County, Missouri, region. This project, led by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), collects and analyzes demographic data on unhoused populations throughout the United States.

Skrzypczak’s tasks included analyzing data using a specialized sociological software. She then generated the data into tables, graphs and charts. These were then used in the official PIT report for Greene County.

“Dr. Hart was phenomenal to work with and have as a professor,” Skrzypczak said. “I am grateful for her willingness to help my own progression and provide opportunities for me.”

For a stronger academic foundation, Skrzypczak turned to Dr. Kyler Sherman-Wilkins, associate professor of sociology.

“Dr. Sherman-Wilkins was the most helpful in terms of helping me to gain some kind of foundation on my academic career,” Skrzypczak said. He was “willing to help me through my own disorganization and chaotic thoughts as I attempted to navigate college as a first generation student.”

Another inspiring professor for Skrzypczak was Dr. Kevin Pybas, associate professor in the Department of Political Science and Philosophy. Skrzypczak took Pybas’s Constitutional Law course.

Pybas described Skrzypczak as having an “infectious personality.”

“She was a very thoughtful student, not just about class material but also about what she wanted to do with herself,” he said.

In turn, Skrzypczak described Pybas as an “excellent professor” whom she deeply respected.

“He was knowledgeable, humorous, well-spoken and honest. I feel grateful to have had his guidance,” she said.

Understanding where she comes from

Not only did Skrzypczak see that sociology was a good academic choice, she also soon discovered it gave her greater understanding of both society and herself. Because for Skrzypczak, studying sociology brought clarity to her own childhood experiences.

“I came from a different family dynamic where, to say the least, I faced a lot of difficulty and hardship throughout my childhood,” she explained. “There was a lot of chaos going on throughout the entirety of it, and what was really able to help me move forward was the idea that one day life would be better because I would make it better once it was within my own control.”

When Skrzypczak was younger, she said believing life could be better was “a nice thought” but not a believable reality. When her younger sister was born, though, Skrzypczak found a new drive and purpose.

“Once she was around, there was no doubt that life had to be better — if for anyone, for her,” Skrzypczak explained. “I grew up thinking to myself that if I could do better in life, then maybe she could be okay, too.”

So Skrzypczak fought on. And she succeeded.

“I did well in school, I excelled, and did it again, and all while doing so I built up a person I was proud to be,” she said.

Looking for more in life

Skrzypczak admits she did not always want to be a lawyer, but only because she wasn’t sure what she wanted.

“I haven’t always wanted to be a lawyer in a realistic sense, but I have always grasped onto the idea of having more in life,” she said. “At times being a lawyer, from a young age, had always been a thought.”

That thought remained alive in part because of her grandmother, who worked in a courthouse.

“I used to go to the courthouse where my grandmother worked, a woman I admire deeply, and I’d roam around in awe of the building,” she said. “Everyone made comments, jokes perhaps, about how one day I’d be a lawyer or how I was smart enough to be one. It was always an idea, but never seemed like much of a reality.”

Until one day, it was.

Skrzypczak is proud to be a first-generation college student. She is also a first-generation law student. Yet she admits to having complex feelings about her latest journey.

“In a way it feels like the most selfish thing I’ve done for myself, that is, going to law school,” she said. “I don’t regret that. I am happy, which isn’t something I could always say. But I am.”

Back to her roots

For Skrzypczak, the University of Wisconsin’s law school wasn’t just an excellent academic choice. It represents her past by allowing her to reconnect with her Indigenous heritage.

“I am an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation,” she said. “The University of Wisconsin is founded on land that originally belonged to the Ho-Chunk people.” Skrzypczak can also claim heritage to the Bad River Tribe of Lake Superior Chippewa, but at this time she is not an enrolled member.

By studying law at Wisconsin, Skrzypczak gains immediate access to, and knowledge of, tribal law. She said she has become increasingly interested in this field.

Skrzypczak also participates in several extracurricular activities. She currently serves chair for Academic Affairs in the Indigenous Law Students Association. In summer 2025, she will work as an intern for her tribe’s legislative counsel.

“This would provide me firsthand experience working within the legal field and give me a new perspective on tribal law,” she explained. “This is an experience I am genuinely excited to take on, and [I’m] truly looking forward to what I can learn.”

During the next school year, Skrzypczak also hopes to engage in experiential learning opportunities, such as the Native Nations Externship.

“This would allow me to continue gaining more experience working within tribal affairs and place me with one of the nations to do more hands-on legal work,” she said.

But for now, Skrzypczak is staying the course, taking the required first year classes and making good grades. Still, all of this seems a bit unreal to her at times.

“Sometimes being in law school feels like a fever dream to me,” she admitted.

Still taking things one step at a time

Being in law school now does not mean Skrzypczak will immediately begin practicing law upon graduation. She’s keeping her options open.

“Moving forward, I am not certain what I’ll do or who I will continue to prosper into,” she said. “First, I must graduate law school. Who I am then shall decide where I go moving forward.”

She has not ruled out a specific career as a lawyer or even a judge.

“I suppose only time will tell. I have always been the type to take things one step at a time.”

Explore opportunities in sociology

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Photo credits: Leah Barry.