Maria Sanchez connects with Centre alumna for valuable law internship
On the first day of her internship, Maria Sanchez, class of 2026, felt a strong sense of imposter syndrome. Of six interns working in the office of a North Carolina judge, she was the only undergraduate student. Everyone else was in law school with experience in legal writing and research.
But Susan Rodriguez ’03, Magistrate Judge for the Western District of North Carolina, specifically wanted a Centre student intern and reached out to Sanchez directly about the opportunity. In the end, it was Sanchez’s support systems from Centre, including faculty and other alumni connections, that helped her push through those early feelings of doubt and embrace the opportunity before her.
“I was reminded of the conversations that I’ve had with my professors and the things I’ve learned at Centre,” Sanchez said. “I told myself, ‘You are here for a reason. You have a seat at the table. Take all the space you can.’
“My professors have greatly pushed that and told me I am at the table because I deserve to be there.”
Sanchez’s internship also highlights the strength of Centre’s alumni network and the support it provides students.
She was introduced to Rodriguez by Professor Pierre Bergeron ’96, who recently retired after six years as a judge on Ohio’s First District Court of Appeals. In the summer of 2024, Sanchez interned under Bergeron in Cincinnati, but shared that she wanted to return home to Charlotte, North Carolina, the summer before her senior year.
“The alumni network is powerful because alumni really care,” Bergeron said. “They care about the student experience and want to help the next generation. Alumni will go out of their way to provide meaningful opportunities for the students. It helps the students on their career path to see people who were in their shoes not too long ago working in the world and doing things that students really aspire to do.”
Now, Bergeron is the Lively Professor of Government and Law and pre-law advisor at Centre and is working to connect alumni in the law field with current students. Sanchez has been a key benefactor of this initiative.
“She really got a behind-the-scenes perspective on how a busy trial court operates,” Bergeron said. “She had the unique opportunity to attend the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference and see more broadly how lawyers and judges practice the issues that they’re confronting in this moment.”
At this conference, Sanchez heard from lawyers and judges speaking on panels about a variety of topics. She sat in on panels that explored how AI will impact the legal field and heard from Chief Justice John Roberts of the U.S. Supreme Court.
“The standout moment for me was probably attending the Fourth Circuit Judicial Conference,” she said. “They spoke mostly about basic topics that brought us back to how humility is really important. At the end of the day, sure, I was in a room full of very important people, but we’re all humans. We shared that.”
The connections she made were pivotal in learning about the critical responsibilities of lawyers and law clerks, and in potential career paths.
For example, Rodriguez’s other, older interns assisted Sanchez in conducting law research and learning how to use various databases. She was also able to learn more about corporate litigation directly from Rodriguez.
Originally, Sanchez had her sights set on being an immigration lawyer, but this internship has inspired her to explore other options.
“I had a lot of heart-to-heart conversations with Judge Rodriguez about this,” Sanchez said. "She opened my eyes to what is possible and gave me the advice to not put all your eggs in one basket. That’s what I gained from this — the fact that I shouldn’t be so laser-focused on one thing. I got the opportunity to learn about what else is out there that I can explore and possibly do a lot of meaningful and purposeful work in as well."
