Rita Venant ’15, upcoming law school graduate
College LAUNCH for Leadership Program Alumni Spotlight
We’re thrilled to spotlight Rita Venant, a proud member of the very first College LAUNCH cohort in 2015. Rita’s journey since then has been nothing short of remarkable, showcasing the lasting impact of the LAUNCH program.
Rita is a proud alumna of Wake Forest University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a minor in Journalism in 2020. Her involvement on campus was extensive, including serving as a Resident Advisor, an assistant in the International Students and Scholars Office and Global Programs & Studies, a member of the Global Connections Advisory Board and Residents Students Association Conference, and participating in multiple study abroad and study away experiences.
Her pursuit of knowledge didn’t stop there. Rita went on to earn a Master’s in Management with a marketing focus from the Wake Forest School of Business in 2021, where she also served as a Student Ambassador and Zoom Assistant. Currently, Rita is in her final year at Drexel University Kline School of Law, Class of 2025. Her dedication to her legal studies is evident through her involvement in Law Review, the Alternative Dispute Resolution team (Negotiations and Client Counseling), the Criminal Law Parole Prep Clinic, and her role as a pro bono coordinator for the Immigration law society. She also works as a Legal Research Center Assistant and has dedicated time to pro bono work in Criminal and Immigration Law, even finding time for another study abroad experience.
Looking ahead, Rita is on the cusp of a major milestone: graduating law school and preparing for the bar exam to become a licensed attorney. By the end of 2025, she will be starting her career as a First-Year Associate at a mid-size firm in Philadelphia. What an incredible trajectory.
Reflecting on her LAUNCH experience, Rita shared a particularly impactful memory: the “field trip” to Wake Forest University. As a first-generation American and future college student, this visit was her very first college tour and had a profound effect. “Seeing a college campus in person helped me better understand not just the application process, but also what day-to-day college life could look like,” she explained. This experience even influenced her college choices, leading her to add Wake Forest to her list.
LAUNCH played a crucial role in laying the foundation for Rita’s impressive future. She highlighted the comfort of having LAUNCH peers as classmates in college and how the program strengthened her professionalism. “From attending Saturday sessions on time to actively participating in workshops and engaging with panelists and guest speakers, I learned how to show up prepared and present,” she noted.
Rita’s journey from the first LAUNCH cohort to a future attorney in Philadelphia is a powerful testament to the program’s lasting impact and the incredible potential within each LAUNCH scholar. We are so proud of Rita and wish her all the best as she embarks on her legal career.