When Tiara Arties walks across the stage at Commencement, she’ll be closing one chapter and opening another — but both are rooted in advocacy and service.

Before law school, Tiara earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in public health and worked as a nurse. In the turmoil of Covid pandemic and the nursing shortage, she realized she couldn’t focus on the part of her job she found most rewarding.

“My favorite part of nursing and healthcare has always been advocating for patients,” Arties said. “That’s what a nurse does, they advocate on behalf of a patient to medical providers and provide another voice for them. With the extreme shortage of nurses, I didn’t have the time to build those relationships with my patients.”

Arties started exploring paths to find how she could use her skills and passions in another career. In addition to being able to advocate for others, she wanted a job that would satisfy her desire for creativity and competitiveness. A career in law appealed to her, and her path to get there was clear.

“I’ve lived in Kansas City since childhood and plan on making Kansas City my long-term home, and I knew that going to UMKC would benefit me since I plan to practice here,” Arties said. “UMKC is actually the only law school I applied to. There was no doubt in my mind it was either UMKC School of Law or no law school at all.”

Law school was a “very scary beginning” for Arties because she wasn’t a traditional student and didn’t have a background in law. She felt like she was learning a new language and was behind where she thought she should be. Thanks to the community around her, those feelings didn’t last long.

“Once I started meeting people, I started to feel more at home,” Arties said. “My classmates, mentors, professors and Career Services staff all helped me feel comfortable. It can be very intimidating; I had a lot of imposter syndrome. I thought everyone else had it all figured out except me. But that wasn’t true, we were all getting through it and figuring things out together.”

Once she found her stride, Arties wanted to extend that helping hand to others. She served as a mentor in the Student Bar Association and led study groups, providing the support and community to others that she valued so much.

“I realized that I can help someone with the tools and knowledge that I have,” Arties said. “And what I know is that if you work hard, study and ask for help when you need it, you’ll be successful. Everyone here is so giving and has open arms. They’re committed to your success, whatever that looks like for you.”

Arties found that her skills as a nurse translate well to a career in law and helped her be successful in the classroom and internships.

“Being a nurse is all about working under pressure and prioritizing,” Arties said. “If I had six patients and they all need me, I have to prioritize who I’m going to see first. At the same time, I need to keep other factors in mind — medication schedules, charting, advocating for my patient’s needs. I used those skills a lot throughout my legal internships when working on a variety of projects.

Those prioritization skills have come in handy in other ways as well. Arties isn’t just a full-time law student, she’s also a full-time faculty member teaching nursing classes at Donnelly College. For her, it’s another way to serve others and pass forward the spirit of generosity she receives from others.

“I love teaching, it’s another dream I’m living,” Arties said. “I’m able to take everything that professors have done for me at UMKC and their spirit of generosity and belonging and extend it to my students. Sometimes it’s hard to balance everything, but I just do my best to keep my priorities in check. Everything I’ve accomplished comes from having the right priorities and the rest flows from there.”

Her list of accomplishments will soon grow longer. Arties will graduate with her law degree in December 2025. After passing the bar exam, she’ll work at a law firm here in Kansas City doing litigation.

Arties looks forward to using her advocacy skills in her career, and also in volunteer and pro bono work. She volunteers with Relentless Pursuit Outreach and Recovery, a nonprofit organization that serves women involved in human trafficking or prostitution. She hopes to use her legal expertise to provide pro bono services to victims, especially those who may have a criminal background due to their circumstances.

When reflecting on her accomplishments and all she’s done while in law school, Arties wanted to make one thing clear.

“It’s never too late,” Arties said. “If an opportunity is there, take it. It doesn’t matter if takes you longer than others as long as you take advantage of a door being opened. I felt like I was slow to catch on, slow to get my grades up, slow to get involved. But I got there and that’s all that matters.”