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Betsy Gould ‘17: The Path to Law School is a Curious One

Matthew Baker-Grunza
You can learn like a pancake or learn like a muffin, and that’s only the tip of the metaphoric iceberg that describes Betsy Gould '17. Betsy is in her first year of law school at NY Law, taking both Civil Procedure and Property Law. In her words, “Not the most thrilling classes, but really fun.” Now that’s the spirit, Betsy!  
But we digress. The reason Betsy can find fun in the admittedly mundane world of Civil Procedure is that she greets the class as a muffin, not a pancake. A pancake perspective may view Civil Procedure and Property Law as thin, but Betsy said, “You can win a case just on procedure rather than on the actual merits, which is neat. And then in my property class right now, we’re talking about landlord-tenant stuff, which is applicable to a lot of New Yorkers and to me.”  
 
Betsy is not just memorizing Act 42 U.S. Code § 3601. She is connecting her knowledge to deeper principles of fairness and paying close attention to the details that pin together the U.S. legal system. To put it in muffin terms, she is leaving no crumbs. This habit of diligence, curiosity, and synthesizing complex ideas was fostered from an early age, when Betsy enrolled at High Meadows in second grade.  
 
Reflecting on those early days, Betsy’s mom often recalls how much she loved driving Betsy and her brother Steven to school every morning. “High meadows is one of those places that you just drive up to and think, ‘Oh, well, things are going to be okay.’” That peace of mind was well-founded. Betsy knows the High Meadows environment was “pivotal” to her development and that she and her peers “had the freedom to run around and decompress, and be outside, and laugh, and be creative, and learn in a way that was most applicable to them and worked for them.”  
 
Later in life, Betsy continued to find ways to learn that were interesting and immersive for her. When applying to colleges, she initially felt drawn to McGill University in Montreal, Canada. But as she researched further, she discovered that Florida State University offered a 12-month study abroad program for freshmen. “I spent my first year in Florence, Italy. So, I lived for nine months in Florence and then three months in London for the summer,” said Betsy.  
 
While abroad, she followed her curiosity. “The first class I took was International Wine and Culture, so that was a fun one. I took art history classes. When I was in London, my favorite class was a theater appreciation class. We learned a bunch about theater, went to museums, and then they took us to West End shows, which were awesome.” After her year abroad, she returned to FSU to earn her Psychology degree.  
 
Another reason Betsy applied to FSU was its football program. After her time at High Meadows, Betsy attended Roswell High School, where she worked as a trainer for the football team. She was also president of the Chemistry Club and worked with Roswell High’s Friends Club. Though she was involved in these activities, the change of schools daunted her at first. In fact, after her first day, she came home crying because some of her classrooms “didn’t have windows.”  
 
But, just like any High Meadows student would, she adapted and became involved, developing strong relationships with teachers that she holds dear to this day. This skill of finding community through trying times is one Betsy has carried with her from High Meadows and Roswell to FSU, and now into law school. She describes law school as “definitely a lot, obviously, I’m reading hundreds of pages of textbooks a day. But my community keeps me going. My friends who are in it are going through the same things I’m going through. I have mentors who are lawyers now. Who keeps me going? My family, my friends, and my mentors. We’re all in the same boat, or they’ve been in the place I’m in.”   
 
This is what makes Betsy so remarkable: her commitment to and rootedness to her community. One particularly influential member of her High Meadows community was Ms. Ehtesham-Zadeh. “The faculty member who made a really big impact on me and helped me to where I am now is Ms. Ehtesham-Zadeh. She was my sixth-grade homeroom teacher and an English teacher at HMS for many years. Then, post middle school, I did a writing class with her, which was awesome. She was someone who was so inspirational and cool and made you love learning.”  

 
Betsy loved her time at High Meadows because of the care and support she received from every teacher. She is grateful for Ms. Spinola, another homeroom teacher, as well as Ms. Lovatt, Andy Stevens, and the Wolf family, to name a few. Now, as Betsy reflects on her time at High Meadows and how it helped shape the path she is on today, she has advice for the eighth graders becoming High Meadows alumni this May. “That’s obviously a huge transition point. But keeping an open mind and staying curious, that’s what’s going to keep pushing you forward.”  
 
High Meadows is proud to call Betsy an alum. She is a fantastic example of curious minds that make up our tight-knit community. Her curiosity has led her around the globe, deepening her understanding of other cultures, so it is no surprise that she has found a love for the law, which derives itself and reflects the values of communities and cultures alike. 
 
If you believe your child would thrive in an environment like Betsy did—curious, driven, and eager for a challenge—we invite you to schedule a tour.
 
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