Leadership and service: The power of one

One letter changed Stella Manabe’s life. Well, one letter and the policy behind it, the commitment behind the policy, her family’s support, an admissions dean’s confidence, and Manabe’s own determination to push past her apprehension and pursue a dream. One, it turns out, is a powerful multiplier.

Born in Okinawa, Manabe first came to the United States at age 23. She was 25 the first time she met a female attorney. So when she received her letter of admission and began attending Lewis & Clark’s law school, she says, "I walked through the doors not believing I was where I was. I walked through because then-Director of Admissions Paula Roucka made it sound possible and the school’s affirmative action policy made it doable." Now administrator of the Oregon State Bar Affirmative Action Program, Manabe, J.D. ’92, received the prestigious 2005 Oregon Women Lawyers’ Judge Mercedes Deiz Award and the 2003 ABA Spirit of Excellence Award for her work in promoting diversity in the legal profession.

"The law school’s affirmative action commitment has made good things happen for many, many people," says Manabe. "Nontraditional students share stories with me every day about the positive impacts this one policy has had on their lives. It’s goosebump material."