Mohawk Valley Community College will present “Breaking Barriers,” an inspiring speaker panel featuring first-generation lawyers and law students, at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025, in Wilcox Hall Room 225 on the Utica Campus.

Organized by MVCC alumna Heather Beebe ’03, a 2024 graduate of Albany Law School, the event welcomes panelists who have forged nontraditional paths to the legal profession. Joining Beebe are fellow Albany Law School graduates Alexis Hatten ’12 and Jonas Caballero ’24, along with Trinh Q. Truong, a JD candidate at Yale Law School. Their journeys — from foster care and incarceration to refugee experiences and attending law school later in life — showcase the power of perseverance and purpose.

Through candid conversation, “Breaking Barriers” will explore how lived experience can fuel a career in law and transform challenges into catalysts for change.

For more information, contact the MVCC Box Office at boxoffice@mvcc.edu or 315-731-5721.