Palm Coast mother of five pursues law degree at age 32

Palm Coast Observer
Neighbors

Tara Libby is embarking on her childhood dream of becoming a lawyer. But it’s a more complicated journey than that of some of her fellow first-year law-school classmates. While many of them recently graduated with their undergraduate degrees, Libby is 32 and a mother of five.

Libby attends Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, and every day when she wakes up at 6:30 a.m., she always makes sure her kids are up and ready to go to school. Libby says that by 7:15, she's ready to leave from her home in Palm Coast and make the commute, 120 miles round-trip, Monday through Thursday.

Libby, who also finds time to volunteer at the women's shelter and spends an average of 60 hours per week on her studies in law school. Time management is a necessity.

“I've got to have a planner to plan what I'm going to be doing throughout the week,” she said. “Anything that's going to happen, I mark it down in my planner and go by it."

But, there are only so many hours each day. “Unfortunately, I don't get to spend as much time with the kids as I hoped,” she said.

Libby’s husband, John, is fully supportive, though. While Libby is in law school, John keeps the house clean, takes care of their children and has dinner ready for her when she comes in the door.

She believes that her less traditional path to becoming an attorney could help her to stand out.

“Would you rather take someone who's been through all of these types of life's experiences, someone who's willing to sacrifice and dedicate their time toward something, or someone who hasn't experienced any of that, but been the top of their class?" she said.

Once Libby graduates with her law degree, she envisions herself practicing law until her children finish high school, and then she wants to run for office and get into politics.

She said her passion for success came from her grandmother. At 5 years old, Libby said she wanted to be president someday, but thought she couldn’t because she was a girl. Her grandmother said, “Don't listen to that. You could become anything you want in this world if you believe you can," Libby recalled.

That conversation with her grandmother has influenced her ever since. And now, Libby said, "It's about the time in my life where all my dreams are coming true. I've got to set the bar as high as it goes for myself."