English alumna Sofia Cabrera graduated from law school and passed the Florida Bar exam—believing she could, so she did

By Chapel Forte

Spend a few minutes with Sofia Cabrera and you will notice her contrasting yet complementary qualities.

Her demeanor is mellow, but her determination is unmistakable. Despite her strong sense of discipline, she is impressively well balanced. As much as she enjoys her independence, Cabrera is deeply driven by family.

And when she believes she can do something, Cabrera focuses her energy and completes the task.

“If you manage your time well, you’re going to do very well,” Cabrera says, offering her simple explanation of how remaining balanced has been a significant part of her life.

Cabrera is an alumna of Florida State University’s Department of English, graduating in May 2022 with her degree focus in Literature, Media, and Culture. Three-and-a-half years later, she is a graduate of Nova Southeastern University’s Shepard Broad College of Law, she passed the Florida Bar Examination in September 2025, and she is ready to begin practicing as an attorney at the Broward State Attorney’s Office.

But this journey was one that Cabrera did not take alone.

“My parents are my support system,” she graciously shares. “I look up to them every day.”

Bringing her family values to FSU

Cabrera enjoyed growing up in Pembroke Pines, a suburb outside of Miami, where she had her first encounter in the professional world of law as a high school intern at a local law firm. She eventually brought her sprouting legal pursuits and family-centered values to Florida State University, where her older sister previously earned her bachelor’s degree in biology.

She admits the transition from living at home to being in college took adjusting, but Cabrera carried parts of home with her to Tallahassee. She chose to major in English-Literature, Media, and Culture to reflect her love of reading and writing. Her minor in hospitality took her “people skills” to the next level. And with her minor in education, Cabrera chose to honor her mother’s career as a teacher and her own lifelong dream to teach.

“My mom's a teacher and she played a role in me wanting to become an educator,” Cabrera says.

As an example of her commitment to learning, Cabrera completed her degree in just three years. She reflects on how each undergraduate experience played a significant role in shaping her future goals.

“All three subjects played a huge role in my decision to go to law school,” she adds.

From FSU to law school

Cabrera speaks thoughtfully while recalling her undergraduate areas of study. She mentions the opportunities she participated in alongside gaining a formal education, specifying the significance of student volunteering at a nearby school, writing for the English department as a student-intern, and working for a small law firm in Tallahassee. 

She also participated in several academic organizations, including Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society, Hispanic Honor Society at Florida State University, Phi Sigma Theta National Honor Society, and Garnet and Gold Scholar Society.

Her diligence and dedication throughout both her time at FSU and her summers at home in South Florida allowed Cabrera to finish her undergraduate studies in just three years. By the time she was in her second year at FSU, she was studying for the Law School Admission Test and preparing her law school applications.

“It was a lot,” she recalls. “That year was challenging, but by the time the summer rolled around, I was able to apply.”

Those long hours of preparation paid off when, in January of her senior year, Cabrera was accepted into Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University, located in Davie, Florida, about 10 miles from her hometown.

She was following in the footsteps of her father who attended NSU for pharmacy school, but she admits, “I honestly didn't know what to expect,” when she started in August of 2022 as a 1L student.

The jump to law school

Despite warnings from friends and family, Cabrera found that being in law school was not quite as daunting as she expected. She stresses that the classes do involve a thorough dedication to reading, studying, and learning how to balance priorities, but she was still able to enjoy life outside of law school by managing her time and staying organized.

Cabrera gives credit to her English degree for training her to succeed in the academic environment of law school.

“I remember having a lot of papers and deadlines as an English major,” Cabrera explains. “I had to be very disciplined, and that kind of carried over into law school. I feel like I've always been a very responsible student, but now it's tenfold, where I’m juggling a bunch of things at once and figuring out what I need to prioritize.”

In addition to the writing assignments for class, Cabrera was a writing intern for the Department of English for two semesters, one summer and one fall. Her internship supervisor knew at the time that Cabrera would excel in law school.

“Sofia was a strong, confident writer in a journalistic style that was relatively new and different for her,” says Jack Clifford, the department’s media specialist. “In addition to her writing, Sofia focused on skills that would benefit her in law school.”

After their first official meeting for the internship, Cabrera sent an email to Clifford later that night, summarizing the discussion and listing each task she had to work on.

“I told Sofia that no other student-intern had taken that step on their own,” Clifford says. “To me, that showed how much Sofia understood that review and preparation were key to studying law.”

Aside from discipline, Cabrera’s undergraduate experience also prepared her for additional involvement throughout law school. For example, Cabrera wrote for Shepard Broad College’s Journal of International Law and Comparative Studies.

“The article that I wrote was actually published, so that was really exciting,” she says, beaming, while relating how that experience and feeling mirrored her time writing for the English department.

Cabrera’s active nature assured that her extracurricular involvement did not stop there. At the start of her final term in law school, she began working as a certified legal intern at the Broward State Attorney’s Office. In this position, Cabrera received clearance from the Florida Bar to practice like an attorney for the county courts—with granted authority to handle a caseload, speak on the record, and make arguments.

She describes how rewarding this experience was for her, giving her the opportunity to challenge herself, especially in the realm of public speaking in courtrooms. Cabrera admits that doing so has intimidated her in the past.

Despite all the challenges she encountered throughout her law school journey, Cabrera asserts one of her firm beliefs: “What you're going to learn in law school is really going to change your mentality about different things. You're going to see things and analyze things very differently than you would any other career path.”

Maintaining her balance

From the start of law school, despite the stress and challenges, Cabrera was determined to remain the balanced woman she is by nature. She recalls a moment during her orientation that resonated with her. A student in his final year advised her to “keep her hobbies.”

Following that advice, Cabrera made time for healthy walks, attended workout classes during study breaks, and read books every night on her Kindle for her own enjoyment. Her mantra throughout it all was a favorite quote that originally comes from R.S. Grey’s Scoring Wilder: “She believed she could, so she did.”

That quote got her through her LSAT preparation during her undergraduate years and is the one that guided her as she studied for the Bar. Of course, she acknowledges that she has never accomplished something so significant without her sense of family values.

“I would not have been able to go through this on my own,” she said, giving credit to her parents for supporting her throughout life.

Honor and kindness

After three years of dedication, in May of 2025, Cabrera finally reached the point that proved all her hard work was valued—a day of “happiness, pride, and immense joy” as she celebrated her dreams becoming a reality.

“Graduating law school will forever be a highlight of my life’s memories,” she says, “and one I will never take for granted.”

Rather than listing her many accomplishments that led her to that moment on stage, Cabrera humbly focuses on her feelings of gratitude.

“I felt truly blessed,” she says, reflecting on the experience, “blessed to have my family present, blessed to see my friends who I made in law school share in that same joy as I felt, and blessed that I chose this profession that will not only challenge me, but allow me to be a voice for the community as I prepare to become an assistant state attorney.”

She also recalls a simple moment that struck her during the ceremony, the guest speaker using the words “honor” and “kindness.”

“I hope to bring these two words with me into this profession,” Cabrera says. “A profession that requires me to be honorable, not only to my peers but also to the court system. A profession that requires me showing kindness to those who come to me seeking legal counsel.”

Cabrera’s words demonstrate not only her impressive achievements but also her pure intentions behind taking this path. Clearly, practicing law is not only a career to her, this profession is a calling, with values that mean as much to her as her schooling and training.

Her next steps forward

Cabrera still has hopes and dreams that she continues to reach for as she begins her next chapter, working as an attorney at the Broward State Attorney’s Office. She is currently waiting to start her position as an assistant state attorney for either the Misdemeanor Trial Court or the Youth Justice Unit, depending on which division becomes available first.

“I am next to start and I’m looking forward to picking up where I left off and sharpening my skills in the courtroom and fighting for justice,” she says.

Cabrera has taken each step forward with her favorite quote in mind: “She believed she could, so she did.”

Cabrera’s vision for the next five years includes continuing to learn and grow into her role as a prosecutor in the courthouse. One day, she would like the opportunity to try a homicide case. She also envisions herself in the future getting married and having children, which she acknowledges can be a challenge for women in this field.

Cabrera remains determined, however, to maintain the balance she has so skillfully practiced throughout her education. One day she would take her love of education to the next level by teaching the topic she is now so enthusiastic about: law.

“I want to go out there and practice law for a little bit, but I think eventually I may want to become a professor at a law school,” she explains.

Inspired by her mother’s love of teaching, Cabrera has a clear natural capacity to help others find their aptitudes and develop those skills.

Believing she could

As Cabrera finishes talking about her journey, she speaks sincerely on why she wants to be a lawyer and an educator: “At the end of the day that's what we're here for, to help people.”

Her values of family, balance, and kindness have shaped Cabrera’s time as a student, at FSU and at Shepard Broad College of Law. And she has taken each step forward with her favorite quote in mind: “She believed she could, so she did.”

Cabrera has always envisioned a bright, balanced, and purposeful future for herself, and she is now beginning the next phase.

Chapel Forte graduated from Florida State University in August 2025 with her Bachelor of Science degree in political science. She is currently a master's student in FSU's Public Administration Program.

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