Kinnan Ghali - Law School Summary

The story of America is a story of immigrants, and my story begins no differently. My parents are of Syrian descent. They immigrated to America in 1976, and eleven years later, I was born in Chicago, Illinois—the sixth child of nine in the proud Ghali family. I spent part of my childhood in Shreveport, Louisiana. I later moved to Detroit, Michigan, where I attended college at Wayne State University. My experiences living with a large family in two contrasting cities have shaped me to become the person I am today and helped me achieve a Juris Doctor degree from Mercer University School of Law. Growing up with three older brothers can teach a person many lessons, both directly as examples to live up to and unintentionally, as shadows to move out of. I often jokingly describe my upbringing as being one of “survival of the fittest.” Amid trying to determine whose turn it was with the Nintendo or whether a pitch was a ball or a strike, I began to develop a passion for telling a reasoned argument. I learned to argue with my heart, as well as with my head. It was not enough for me to support my point with evidence: I sought the truth and argued for what I believed was right. Over time, I developed a tenacity for insisting on fairness from my older siblings and showing kindness to my younger siblings.

Living in the South with a large family, we quickly got to know our neighbors. I soon realized I could adopt my community as my extended family. I wanted to apply my caring nature and my principles of fairness to those outside my household. This became especially important to me in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Many displaced New Orleans’ residents moved to my city to seek refuge. I became acquainted with one particular refugee from St. Bernard Parish and listened in depth to how the lives of his family members were turned upside down overnight. This had a significant impact on me as it altered the way I viewed the world: It became clear to me that people cannot always control the misfortunes they suffer, and it was my duty to correct injustices by striving to right wrongs.