Taylor Fenner attended ALA Michigan Girls State in 2016. She applied to attend because of her love for politics and government. Her career goal at that time was to be a high school government teacher. She didn’t know it, but her career path was about to change. 
 
Early in the week, Fenner took the ALA Girls State bar exam and passed. She joined the legal sector at ALA Girls State, which gave her the opportunity to meet and work with attorney Justin Hayes, who was serving as an advisor for the program. Fenner spent her week preparing for a mock trial as the criminal defendant. She was also the attorney for her city. The experience changed her career goal — instead of going into teaching, she wanted to become a lawyer.
 
Following ALA Girls State, Fenner stayed in contact with Hayes. She was able to job shadow him for a day while he went to court and visited clients in jail. Fenner went on to earn her bachelor’s degree at Wayne State University and her law degree at the University of Detroit Mercy. 
 
While in law school, she participated in the Veterans Law Clinic — the first time she was exposed to veterans law. This led her to a position at Disability Law Group. Fenner is now an attorney practicing Veterans Affairs Disability Law in Troy, Mich., and is accredited through the VA.
 
“I would have never been exposed to this career path without going to ALA Girls State,” she said. “I attribute my success in my career to my time at ALA Girls State.”
 
Fenner also serves on the Oakland County Bar Association Veterans Committee, which helps veterans obtain legal services.
 
Fenner is still in touch with friends from ALA Girls State. Some of them who went into the military have reached out to her for help with their VA disability. 
 
“Go in ready to absorb as much as you can,” Fenner advises future ALA Girls State attendees. “You will be exposed to so many people from different walks of life who have different ideas and experiences than you. You will learn so much about yourself and even discover things about yourself you didn’t know. It’s an incredible experience, and you don’t realize how much it will impact you until it’s over. Enjoy every moment, always be willing to think about things from a different perspective, and have fun.”