Macaulay Honors senior Sarah Umstadt ’21 may have grown up in the suburbs of Seaford, Long Island, but her heart was always set on living in New York City. “Toward the end of high school, I found myself interested in the field of criminal justice and the world beyond Seaford. I started to get very excited about the possibilities of moving to the City, going to a new school, and meeting new people,” she says. Now, graduating with a degree in International Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology, Umstadt feels confident about building a bright future as she pursues a law degree at St. John’s University School of Law this coming fall. She credits her time spent at John Jay College for providing the right environment that challenged her to keep growing academically, socially, and professionally. “While researching schools, I kept returning to John Jay because it felt like the perfect mix between my interest in criminal justice and my desire to spend my undergraduate career in New York City. The College offered every possible avenue of criminal justice for me to explore. Once I found out about the Macaulay Honors Program, the academic prestige, and the rigor that came with it, I knew that John Jay was exactly where I wanted to be.”

When you first came to John Jay, what were some of your biggest challenges? How did you overcome them?
Moving into the City was challenging because it was the first time I had ever been somewhere that I did not know anyone else. It was difficult trying to balance starting college off on the right foot, meeting new people, becoming familiar with my surroundings, and coming out of my shell. Living in the dorms helped me transition into college life because I met my roommate who became my best friend.

One reason I wanted to move to the City for my undergraduate experience was that I knew that Seaford did not reflect the real world. The most challenging experience of coming to John Jay was being in the classroom and learning about new issues that had never been discussed in my hometown high school.

Seaford is a middle-class, mostly white suburb, and there is very little diversity. Getting to take classes at John Jay that talked about social justice, the history of American cities, crime, culture, and diversity was what I was looking forward to, but I had little to no experience with these topics. I tried my best to attend every class and listen to each new perspective. It was important for me to not only learn from those around me, but to go out on my own, find topics I was interested in, research them, and continue to learn outside of the classroom.

What academic achievement are you particularly proud of accomplishing?
My proudest accomplishment is my year-long research project on drug trafficking organizations in New York City. During the spring of my Sophomore year, Dr. Mangai Natarajan, who is a professor in the International Criminal Justice Department, asked me to be a research assistant on an ongoing project she had been working on. She was studying drug trafficking organizations operating in and out of New York City. I was immediately interested. We worked together on gathering data from federal court cases to develop a typology of the drug trafficking organizations in the New York City area for the years between 2007 and 2018. I worked alongside Professor Natarajan and Danya Babu, a doctoral student, on completing this rigorous academic research. The research culminated in a panel presentation at the American Society of Criminology Conference in San Francisco. Having the opportunity to speak on a panel with Professor Natarajan, and in front of so many distinguished criminological researchers, was an incredible experience I will never forget. My mom also had the opportunity to watch my presentation, which made the entire experience even more special.

If you had to point to one organization, cohort, person, or place at John Jay that made your experience especially fulfilling, supportive, and/or productive, what/would that be and why?
I feel very grateful to have been a student in the Macaulay Honors College class of the 2021. There were only about twenty students in our class and because of that, we had the opportunity to bond pretty quickly. Part of the Macaulay requirements is that all students in the program have to enroll in four classes for their first four semesters, all centering on different topics. I found it very comforting that for my first two years at John Jay, my classes were full of familiar faces. We all got along well and those classes were always enjoyable. I have the same feeling about various honors courses that I have taken here.

Can you describe what your experience has been like living and learning through the pandemic? What was especially difficult? What was especially inspiring?
A lot about this past year has been difficult. Back in March of 2020, I was living in the dorms at the New Yorker and working at two different in-person internships. Then everything shut down. I remember leaving the dorms and telling my parents that I would probably be home for two weeks before going back to school. The most challenging experience for me was trying to prioritize school, work, and online learning while everything around me felt so unsure. I struggled with watching my parents, both healthcare workers, work through the stress of a global pandemic, as well as watching my younger sister, who is a senior year in high school, miss out on so many experiences.

The most inspiring thing that I experienced during this past year was watching communities come together, whether it was on a larger scale—like protesting for racial justice—or something as simple as a small-town car parade celebrating the high school seniors. It was inspiring to see so many people willing to do what they could to help someone else.          

What do you hope to do after you graduate from John Jay? Why have you decided on this career plan or graduate school?
I’m beginning law school at St. John’s University in the fall. After spending a lot of time reading through court cases at the Southern and Eastern District Federal Courthouses for my research assistantship with Dr. Mangai Natarajan, I had this growing curiosity for what was going on behind the scenes of all of these cases. The following summer, I had the opportunity to intern at the Eastern District Federal Courthouse in Long Island and was fortunate to be able to observe various court proceedings. From there, my interest peaked in studying the law. I then applied for the judicial internship through the John Jay Pre-law Institute. I was placed in the chambers of the Honorable Wilma Guzman (John Jay class of ’78) at the Bronx Civil Supreme Court. By the end of my first day, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in law. I ended up finishing that semester virtually, due to the pandemic, and continued working for Justice Guzman for over a year. While interning, I had the opportunity to draft legal decisions, read through motion papers, and complete legal research. Although the work was sometimes stressful, I enjoyed every minute of it. Even if I was only working on individual motions, the internship gave me a better understanding of what it felt like to be a real court attorney helping people find justice. It was the first opportunity I had that made me feel like I was making a tangible change and having an impact on my community. This experience solidified my decision to go to law school.

Is there someone special that’s particularly proud of your accomplishment? Who are they and what would you like to say to them?
I feel fortunate to say that I have many different people that have supported me, beginning with my parents who have been an unwavering support system for me throughout my entire educational career. They have made so many sacrifices for me to pursue a higher education; all I ever hope to do is make them proud. I’m also grateful for my Honor’s advisor, Ms. Adrienne Fitzgerald, who has listened to countless hours of ranting and questioning possible educational paths. She has helped me every step of the way towards graduation and beyond. Professor Natarajan has also been a huge supporter of my success and has served as my senior honors capstone mentor. I’m thankful that she always pushed me to be a better student, researcher, and learner. Lastly, I have to mention Supreme Court Justice Wilma Guzman and her principal court attorney, Ms. Cynthia Isales. It was an absolute pleasure interning for these two amazing women for over a year. They have given me such rich background knowledge and experience for law school.

If all goes well, where do you see yourself in five years? Why is this your current goal?
I hope I have graduated from law school and passed the bar exam. But looking even further ahead, I hope that I am still in New York, working for an organization such as The Legal Aid Society or the Vera Institute for Justice. I want to use my law degree to make positive changes in the New York City community and beyond. My time here at John Jay has shown me that the criminal justice system needs a lot of reform and there is a lot of work to be done before any system in place is equitable for everyone.

Please finish this sentence: Because of John Jay…
I met my best friends, found what I am truly passionate about, and had the support I needed to get into law school and pursue my goals.