Second-year law student Chelsea Evans is no stranger to tackling big jobs. She's served as an extern for a U.S. District Court judge and a Mayor's Fellow under Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin. She's juggled roles as a research assistant, a member of the Pro Bono Board and a member of of the Black Law Students Association.
But her newest accolade is not just a great personal achievement, it's also a historic moment at USC. She will serve as the first African-American editor-in-chief of the South Carolina Law Review.
"It's been very overwhelming in a positive way," she said. "I say 'overwhelming' because I'm just very humbled by the amount of support I've received."
The historic nature of her election is not lost on her, and Evans practices what she preaches. She's volunteered with the Constitutional Scholars Pipeline Program as a mentor to minority middle school students.
"I think it says a lot about where we are as a state," she said.
Third-year public relations student Taylor Evans is confident that Chelsea has the skills to handle the job. As Chelsea's younger sister, she's seen the elder Evans display them her whole life.
"I thought it would be an amazing opportunity for her to display her leadership skills," Taylor said.
"Whatever you give her to do or whatever roles she's placed in, she's going to give it her all and do the best that she possibly can."
According to Taylor, running for the Law Review position wasn't a simple choice for her sister.
"It took a while for her to narrow down her decision," she said. "It is a big decision to make. The editor-in-chief has a lot of responsibilities."
Chelsea's successful campaign was based upon sharing her vision for the Law Review, which is responsible for editing and publishing legal briefs that come in from scholars across the country.
"The purpose of a law review is to advance legal scholarship throughout this country," she said. During her tenure, she'll oversee the publication of four issues of the Law Review.
Chelsea still has time to decide exactly what she'll do with her law degree. For now she's interested in a career in corporate law. One thing is for sure — her time at the Law Review will help her reach her goals.
"Pursuing a career in law provided me with an opportunity to learn a very specialized skill set that would give me the tools I need to go out and and effect change," she said.
Disclosure: Taylor Evans is a member of The Daily Gamecock's social media team.