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Nutt, Sandy |
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Grade A on FYLSX
Nutt, Sandy
Originally from Yellow Springs Ohio, Sandy majored in Theatre & Drama at the University of Michigan earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. Sandy went to New York and became a member of the famed Negro Ensemble Company founded in the '60s and starred opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the "WE" Series of plays written by Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Fuller and directed by Douglas Turner Ward. When their national tour ended, Sandy moved to Los Angeles where, in 2001, she built and opened her own 60-seat theatre in North Hollywood. Sandy's theatre allows her to act, write and produce. In July of 2006, her weekly television show began airing in Southern California on KVMD TV, Channel 23. Owning a theatre and working on a television concept made Sandy realize she needed legal help. Instead of hiring a lawyer, Sandy chose law school. Also, Sandy realized she needed a school that wouldn't interfere with her night time job in a law firm and her theatre. She elected to attend ALU and began her studies in January 2005. Sandy registered for ALU "backwards". She knew immediately when she spoke with Elaine Brix at ALU that she would attend - that it was the right fit - paid and filled out the application within a half hour of her first meeting, then took the test and went to an open house last!
She began her studies at ALU knowing she had to accept the added pressure of taking the First Year Law Students Exam in June of 2006. She managed her studies while producing and performing in a critically acclaimed play at her theatre and was ready to devote more time to her studies when the play closed. The plan went wrong when Sandy was diagnosed with malignant thyroid cancer in August 2005 and had to undergo surgery to remove her entire thyroid. Surgery on her cancer went well, but the doctor clipped her vocal chords and Sandy lost her speaking voice. Further, because one chord was not moving and essentially blocking air to her lungs, Sandy could not breathe and was advised to have a second surgery for insertion of a tracheotomy which occurred three days later. This all occurred at the beginning of commencement of contracts.
Sandy elected to stay at ALU during this time of uncertainty. She was diagnosed at the beginning of the first week of contracts and her major medical treatments, including radiation were completed a couple of weeks before the Baby Bar in June. Her doctor told her she may never get her speaking voice back and that she may very well have to have the tracheotomy for a year. Happily, he was wrong. The chords have returned to about 75% of their capacity and the tracheotomy was removed. And although breathy, her voice is almost normal. Sandy was also advised that she should drop her ALU law studies until her ordeal was over.
Sandy chose not to drop out and decided that she would do her best on the FYLSX. In June of 2006, she sat for the exam and passed with a grade of A. Sandy feels that the selection of ALU combined with her study habits helped her through the hardest year of her life. In Sandy's own words "ALU Rocks!"
Surely I would have dropped out of a traditional law school. The online lectures allowed me to watch and listen to class on my laptop in the hospital and listen to CDs constantly. This experience made me stronger in that I learned to trust my gut. I always advise students to trust their gut and study as you see fit for YOU, not what other students tell you to do. This proved to be right. I could not attend the FYLSX classes in person because of my treatments and yet, I found a plan that worked for me. I was not confident, but went with my gut and it worked. Now I am that much more confident with my study habits. I was determined not to drop out and I was really scared most of the time, but the A is finally sinking in and I'm happy with my choices.
Everything you need to pass and do well is here at ALU, it's up to you to trust yourself and hang on to your faith and believe in you.
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