{"id":19429,"date":"2026-03-04T08:47:25","date_gmt":"2026-03-04T13:47:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=19429"},"modified":"2026-03-19T12:47:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T16:47:27","slug":"wilmu-one-on-one-attorney-and-program-chair-nicole-ballenger-discusses-pursuing-a-legal-career","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2026\/03\/04\/wilmu-one-on-one-attorney-and-program-chair-nicole-ballenger-discusses-pursuing-a-legal-career\/","title":{"rendered":"WilmU\u00a0One-on-One:\u00a0Attorney and Program Chair\u00a0Nicole Ballenger\u00a0Discusses\u00a0Pursuing a Legal\u00a0Career\u00a0\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column19429_d0009a-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column19429_d0009a-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column19429_d0009a-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column19429_d0009a-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column19429_d0009a-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column19429_d0009a-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column19429_d0009a-e2{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column19429_d0009a-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column19429_d0009a-e2 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column19429_d0009a-e2\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading19429_473037-2f, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading19429_473037-2f[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading19429_473037-2f\"]{font-size:1.5rem;line-height:1.2;font-weight:500;font-style:italic;font-family:proxima-nova;color:#808080;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading19429_473037-2f mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading19429_473037-2f[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading19429_473037-2f\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading19429_473037-2f img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading19429_473037-2f[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading19429_473037-2f\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"kt-adv-heading19429_473037-2f wu-subheading wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading19429_473037-2f\"><em>Before joining Wilmington University, <strong>Nicole Ballenger, J.D.<\/strong>,&nbsp;worked as a paralegal and then an attorney in private practice with an emphasis on civil litigation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>During her time as an educator, she has received outstanding faculty awards and now&nbsp;chairs&nbsp;WilmU\u2019s&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/law-policy-and-political-science.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Law, Policy and Political Science<\/em><\/a><em>&nbsp;program.&nbsp;<\/em>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. What inspired you to study law and earn your J.D.?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My first professional job after college was working at a law firm. I worked as a paralegal,&nbsp;and during that time, one of my supervising partners encouraged me to apply to law school. Serving as a valued member of a legal team helped to solidify that I enjoyed working in litigation. Receiving motivation from my supervising attorney made law school feel attainable,&nbsp;purposeful&nbsp;and aligned with a profession that I knew would allow me to feel fulfilled for the long term.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. Can you tell us about your journey to Wilmington University?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A large part of working in litigation involves teaching.&nbsp;It was my job as an attorney to educate different audiences,&nbsp;including judges, juries, clients and even colleagues,&nbsp;about legal facts and consequences in ways that led to action or decision. Appreciating litigation as teaching practice is what&nbsp;ultimately transitioned&nbsp;me from private practice to higher education.&nbsp;Before becoming a part of the&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;community,&nbsp;I worked in a similar role as a program director at a law school. The local legal community is&nbsp;close,&nbsp;and&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;contact with former colleagues is what&nbsp;ultimately brought&nbsp;me to&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;a little over nine years ago.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. The Law,&nbsp;Policy&nbsp;and Political Science degree program is so versatile. Can you share some highlights and how graduates are using this degree to launch careers?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>All three concentrations are distinct; however, they share a common intellectual core: decision-making,&nbsp;implementation&nbsp;and interpretation of rules in society. I am incredibly proud of our graduates and all they have&nbsp;accomplished! Graduates have seen success in the legal&nbsp;field,&nbsp;nonprofits, private industry, advocacy, research, education, legislation, compliance, campaigns&nbsp;and are also serving in government roles.&nbsp;Our graduates are&nbsp;our&nbsp;most visible outcome of the University\u2019s mission. Many alums have returned to&nbsp;WilmU&nbsp;to serve on advisory boards, act as guest speakers,&nbsp;instructors&nbsp;and as student mentors.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. How is hands-on learning incorporated into the program?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hands-on learning is at the heart of all three concentrations and is also the mission of the specialized American Bar Association (ABA) approval for the&nbsp;Legal&nbsp;Studies program.&nbsp;Students can research real policy problems, analyze data, engage in simulations, role&nbsp;playing&nbsp;and think-tank exercises. As a part of their classwork, students are encouraged to attend public community meetings to build civic awareness and engage in collective decision-making.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ABA approval for the&nbsp;Legal&nbsp;Studies concentration,&nbsp;one of only 223 approved programs in the country,&nbsp;requires students to complete legal specialty courses in their curriculum. A legal specialty is defined by the ABA as a course that covers substantive law or legal procedures or processes, has been developed for paralegals, emphasizes practical paralegal skills, and meets the ABA\u2019s instructional requirements. Learning (and life)&nbsp;isn\u2019t&nbsp;always about getting the right answers. Instead, these disciplines gain validity through application, professional&nbsp;judgment&nbsp;and ethical analysis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-wrap.wp-block-kadence-rowlayout.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30{margin-top:0em;margin-bottom:0em;}.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:center;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:center;}.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:0em;padding-right:0em;padding-bottom:0em;padding-left:0em;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 ,.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 h1,.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 h2,.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 h3,.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 h4,.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 h5,.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 h6{color:#00843d;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30{border-top:1px solid #db1313;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30{border-top:1px solid #db1313;}}\/**** BLOCKQUOTE CSS ****\/\/* @import \"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/css\/blog\/style.css\"; *\/:root {  --global-md-spacing: 1.5rem;  --color-accent: #f9c22c;  --color-neutral3: #605f60;  --radius-md: 0.625rem;  --quote-size-text: clamp(1.25rem, 3cqi, 2.25rem);  --quote-size: clamp(2.5rem, 8cqi, 5rem);}\/* =========================   BLOCKQUOTE CONTAINER========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple {  container-type: inline-size;   margin-block: 0;  border-radius: var(--radius-md);  border: 0.15rem solid rgba(0 132 61 \/ 6%);  box-shadow:\t\t 0px 3px 1px -2px rgba(0 0 0 \/ 20%),\t\t 0px 2px 2px 0px rgba(0 0 0 \/ 14%),\t\t 0px 1px 5px 0px rgba(0 0 0 \/ 12%);\tposition: relative;\tisolation: isolate;\tcolor: var(--color-neutral3);\tinline-size: 100%;  padding: 1.875rem 2.688rem;  flex: 1;  display: flex;  flex-direction: column;  align-items: center;}\/* =========================   TEXT BLOCK (anchor)========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple p {\tposition: relative;\tinline-size: -webkit-fit-content;\tinline-size: -moz-fit-content;\tinline-size: fit-content;\tcolor: var(--color-primary);\tmax-inline-size: 40ch;\thanging-punctuation: first last;\tfont-family: ui-serif, Georgia, Cambria, \"Times New Roman\", serif;\tfont-weight: 600;\tfont-size: var(--quote-size-text);\tmargin-block: 0 !important;}\/* =========================   QUOTES========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple p::before,blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple p::after {\tposition: absolute;  font-size: var(--quote-size);  font-weight: 700;  line-height: 1;  color: var(--color-accent);  opacity: 0.45;\tz-index: 0;}\/* =========================   OPEN QUOTE========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple p::before {  content: open-quote;  \/* optical margin alignment *\/  left: -0.65em;  \/* top: -0.25em; *\/}\/* =========================   CLOSE QUOTE========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple p::after {  content: close-quote;\t-webkit-margin-after: -1rem;\tmargin-block-end: -1rem;}\/* ========================= CITATION ========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple cite {  display: block;  inline-size: -webkit-fit-content;  inline-size: -moz-fit-content;  inline-size: fit-content;  margin-inline: auto;\tfont-family: proxima nova, system-sans, sans-serif;  font-style: italic;  color: var(--color-neutral3);\t-webkit-text-stroke: 0.25px rgba(0 0 0 \/ 25%);\tletter-spacing: .03em;}.wu-blockquote-row {\tmargin: 0 !important;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id19429_3b0b24-30 alignnone FULL wu-blockquote-row wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-middle kb-theme-content-width\">\n<style>.kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);}.kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column19429_4b3276-1b kb-section-dir-vertical wu-blockquote-section\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote wu-blockquote-simple wp-container-content-9cfa9a5a is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\">\n<p>Wilmington University creates a shared community of care, responsibility and belonging built around growth,&nbsp;opportunity&nbsp;and learning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<cite>\u2014 Nicole Ballenger, J.D.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-wrap.wp-block-kadence-rowlayout.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a{margin-top:0em;margin-bottom:0em;}.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:center;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:center;}.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:0em;padding-right:0em;padding-bottom:0em;padding-left:0em;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a ,.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a h1,.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a h2,.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a h3,.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a h4,.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a h5,.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a h6{color:#00843d;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a{border-top:1px solid #db1313;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a{border-top:1px solid #db1313;}}\/**** BLOCKQUOTE CSS ****\/\/* @import \"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/css\/blog\/style.css\"; *\/:root {  --global-md-spacing: 1.5rem;  --color-accent: #f9c22c;  --color-neutral3: #605f60;  --radius-md: 0.625rem;  --quote-size-text: clamp(1.25rem, 3cqi, 2.25rem);  --quote-size: clamp(2.5rem, 8cqi, 5rem);}\/* =========================   BLOCKQUOTE CONTAINER========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple {  container-type: inline-size;   margin-block: 0;  border-radius: var(--radius-md);  border: 0.15rem solid rgba(0 132 61 \/ 6%);  box-shadow:\t\t 0px 3px 1px -2px rgba(0 0 0 \/ 20%),\t\t 0px 2px 2px 0px rgba(0 0 0 \/ 14%),\t\t 0px 1px 5px 0px rgba(0 0 0 \/ 12%);\tposition: relative;\tisolation: isolate;\tcolor: var(--color-neutral3);\tinline-size: 100%;  padding: 1.875rem 2.688rem;  flex: 1;  display: flex;  flex-direction: column;  align-items: center;  text-wrap:balance;}\/* =========================   TEXT BLOCK (anchor)========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple p {\tposition: relative;\tinline-size: -webkit-fit-content;\tinline-size: -moz-fit-content;\tinline-size: fit-content;\tcolor: var(--color-primary);\tmax-inline-size: 40ch;\thanging-punctuation: first last;\tfont-family: ui-serif, Georgia, Cambria, \"Times New Roman\", serif;\tfont-weight: 600;\tfont-size: var(--quote-size-text);\tmargin-block: 0 !important;}\/* =========================   QUOTES========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple p::before,blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple p::after {\tposition: absolute;  font-size: var(--quote-size);  font-weight: 700;  line-height: 1;  color: var(--color-accent);  opacity: 0.45;\tz-index: 0;}\/* =========================   OPEN QUOTE========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple p::before {  content: open-quote;  \/* optical margin alignment *\/  left: -0.65em;  \/* top: -0.25em; *\/}\/* =========================   CLOSE QUOTE========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple p::after {  content: close-quote;\t-webkit-margin-after: -1rem;\tmargin-block-end: -1rem;}\/* ========================= CITATION ========================= *\/blockquote.wu-blockquote-simple cite {  display: block;  inline-size: -webkit-fit-content;  inline-size: -moz-fit-content;  inline-size: fit-content;  margin-inline: auto;\tfont-family: proxima nova, system-sans, sans-serif;  font-style: italic;  color: var(--color-neutral3);\t-webkit-text-stroke: 0.25px rgba(0 0 0 \/ 25%);\tletter-spacing: .03em;}.wu-blockquote-row {\tmargin: 0 !important;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id19429_4c4523-7a alignnone FULL wu-blockquote-row wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-1-columns kt-row-layout-equal kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-middle kb-theme-content-width\">\n<style>.kadence-column19429_f99619-8c > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-md, 2rem);}.kadence-column19429_f99619-8c > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column19429_f99619-8c > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column19429_f99619-8c > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column19429_f99619-8c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column19429_f99619-8c > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column19429_f99619-8c > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column19429_f99619-8c{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column19429_f99619-8c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column19429_f99619-8c > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column19429_f99619-8c kb-section-dir-vertical wu-blockquote-section\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote wu-blockquote-simple wp-container-content-9cfa9a5a is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0\">\n<p>Wilmington University creates a shared community of care, responsibility and belonging built around growth,&nbsp;opportunity&nbsp;and learning.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<cite>\u2014 Nicole Ballenger, J.D.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. How will&nbsp;WilmU&#8217;s&nbsp;new&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/law-pathway\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">3+3 Accelerated Law School Pathway<\/a>&nbsp;benefit&nbsp;your students?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The 3+3&nbsp;Pathway offers significant academic,&nbsp;financial&nbsp;and professional benefits for motivated and well-advised students. One of the most immediate benefits is saving a full year of study! For students who are confident in their decision to pursue law, the pathway&nbsp;eliminates&nbsp;redundancy without sacrificing academic rigor.&nbsp;The program is a special partnership, directly connecting our undergraduate programs with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/law.wilmu.edu\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WilmU Law<\/a>, where students will receive continued support to succeed in legal practice.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. What qualities or skills do you think are especially important for individuals&nbsp;seeking&nbsp;to work within the legal field or the political arena?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Law and politics require the ability to analyze complex information,&nbsp;identify&nbsp;relevant&nbsp;facts&nbsp;and evaluate competing arguments.&nbsp;However, I&nbsp;believe it is&nbsp;the emotional intelligence&nbsp;required&nbsp;in these&nbsp;fields that&nbsp;is most important. Listening, compassion,&nbsp;awareness&nbsp;and the ability to recognize another person\u2019s concerns is paramount. Feeling motivated to respond with care, respect,&nbsp;concern&nbsp;and without judgment is most vital for success in these professions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&nbsp;Q.&nbsp;What\u2019s&nbsp;something you like to do for fun?&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Fun for me involves spending time with family. My&nbsp;college-aged&nbsp;son always ensures that we&nbsp;seek out&nbsp;adventure. Whether we are enjoying time on the beach in North Carolina, exploring the California&nbsp;coast&nbsp;or attending a Formula&nbsp;One&nbsp;race in Montreal, we try to embrace new experiences. We are currently planning our next adventure for this summer, a trip to Germany and Austria.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Q. What do you love about&nbsp;WilmU?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Without a doubt, it is the family atmosphere at&nbsp;WilmU.&nbsp;Two of the many reasons I love my job are the people with whom I work and the students that I have the privilege of serving.&nbsp;Wilmington University creates a shared community of care, responsibility and belonging built around growth,&nbsp;opportunity&nbsp;and learning. There is an innate sense of support,&nbsp;professionalism and inclusion at the University that makes it unique and an amazing place to work.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-wrap.wp-block-kadence-rowlayout.kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52{margin-top:0em;}.kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:center;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:center;}.kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:0em;padding-bottom:0em;padding-left:0em;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}.kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52{border-top:0px solid transparent;}.kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52{border-top:0px solid transparent;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52{border-top:0px solid transparent;}}.wu-text-col,.wu-img-col {\tmin-block-size: -webkit-fit-content;\tmin-block-size: -moz-fit-content;\tmin-block-size: fit-content;}.wu-text-col > div,.wu-img-col > div {\tflex: 1;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id19429_3ed1ac-52 alignnone FULL wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-2-columns kt-row-layout-right-golden kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-middle kb-theme-content-width\">\n<style>.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top:5px solid #f9c22b;}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top:5px solid rgba(249,194,43,0);flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top:5px solid rgba(249,194,43,0);flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}.kadence-column19429_185047-d5 figure.image-is-svg {-webkit-margin-after: 1em;  margin-block-end: 1em;}img[src$=\".svg\"] {  max-width: 220px;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column19429_185047-d5 kb-section-dir-horizontal wu-img-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image19429_c72b45-ef:not(.kb-image-is-ratio-size) .kb-img, .kb-image19429_c72b45-ef.kb-image-is-ratio-size{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-image19429_c72b45-ef .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image19429_c72b45-ef image-is-svg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"230\" height=\"120\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/wilmu-cta-logo-wu.svg\" alt=\"Wilm U post footer logo\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-17727\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-top:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top:5px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col > .wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:#eeeeee;}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);border-right:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);border-bottom:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);border-left:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc{align-self:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc{align-self:auto;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{border-top:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);border-right:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);border-bottom:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);border-left:5px solid rgba(0,132,61,0);flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}.kt-row-column-wrap > .wp-block-kadence-column {align-self: stretch;}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc > div {  padding-block: 1em;}.kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc p:last-of-type {  -webkit-margin-after: 0;  margin-block-end: 0;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column19429_4cca94-bc kb-section-dir-vertical wu-text-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"NoMargin has-theme-palette-3-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3594ce926fa76a531bd1139e5ce6108b\" style=\"margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;font-size:1rem\"><em>Learn from dedicated professors like Nicole Ballenger&nbsp;in&nbsp;Wilmington University\u2019s&nbsp;<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/indexs.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>College of Social and Behavioral Sciences<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before joining Wilmington University, Nicole Ballenger, J.D.,&nbsp;worked as a paralegal and then an attorney in private practice with an emphasis on civil litigation. During her&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":19431,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[163],"tags":[286,159,14,15,988],"class_list":["post-19429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifewilmu","tag-college-of-social-and-behavioral-science","tag-school-of-law","tag-wilmington-university","tag-wilmu","tag-wilmu-one-on-one"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":163,"label":"LIFE@WILMU"}],"post_tag":[{"value":286,"label":"College of Social and Behavioral Science"},{"value":159,"label":"School of Law"},{"value":14,"label":"Wilmington University"},{"value":15,"label":"WilmU"},{"value":988,"label":"WilmU One-on-One"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/nicole-ballenger-480x480.jpg",480,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Mckayla Imperatrice","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/mckayla\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":163,"name":"LIFE@WILMU","slug":"lifewilmu","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":720,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":90,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":163,"category_count":90,"category_description":"","cat_name":"LIFE@WILMU","category_nicename":"lifewilmu","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":286,"name":"College of Social and Behavioral Science","slug":"college-of-social-and-behavioral-science","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":843,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":10,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":159,"name":"School of Law","slug":"school-of-law","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":716,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":14,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":14,"name":"Wilmington University","slug":"wilmington-university","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":571,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":357,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":15,"name":"WilmU","slug":"wilmu","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":572,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":291,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":988,"name":"WilmU One-on-One","slug":"wilmu-one-on-one","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1545,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":20,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19429"}],"version-history":[{"count":29,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19429\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20295,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19429\/revisions\/20295"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}