Etan Zaitsu started Pacific McGeorge not knowing if he had enough talent to be an attorney. He came with a background in community organizing and counseling alcohol and drug addicts. 

With hard work, the skills he developed and guidance from professors, Zaitsu graduated in December 2011 from the evening program with a job and several moot court competition wins. In his second year, he won the school's moot court competition for both oral argument and brief writing. He later joined the traveling team. 

Outside class, he was chair of the Community Service Committee and founder and president of the Fantasy Sports for Charity club, which raised more than $1,000 for charity. As a member of the Environmental Law Society, he helped persuade the administration to build a communal vegetable garden for students. He also held different elected offices in student government.

Zaitsu started giving to the school as a student, grateful for the scholarships he received. He took the yearlong federal defenders clinic and participated in two trials, including one before a jury. He has been a legislative advocate for the California Political Consulting Group since March 2012. 

"Attorneys in our society have power and privilege to make things happen for people, to change laws, to create policy," he says. "There's a lot that attorneys can do. I want to be part of that community that is able to use that privilege to help people."