 
| Now a lawyer for Rhode Island Legal Services, Jorge Elorza ’98 credits URI’s Talent Development program for his success. | ||
From Wall Street to Harvard LawBy Shane Donaldson ’99 Coming out of high school, Jorge Elorza ’98 felt “off-track and unapplied.” After graduating from Classical High in Providence, he spent a year at Community College of Rhode Island before being accepted at URI through the Special Programs for Talent Development. “If not for the chance with Talent Development, I would not have gone to college; that’s the plain truth,” Elorza said. “Without T.D., I can’t imagine where I’d be.” Nor could he have imagined where life has since taken him. After leaving URI, Elorza spent time on Wall Street and graduated from Harvard Law School. Now a lawyer for Rhode Island Legal Services in Providence, Elorza represents people unable to afford an attorney. He handles civil rights cases for those discriminated against while renting or buying property. “This is a dream job,” Elorza said. “It allows me to handle complex litigation and do community work. I speak to groups about housing laws and tenants’ rights, which helps people protect themselves.” The desire to give back to his community began to grow when, as a senior at URI, he worked in a program called the Rhode Island Children’s Crusade for Higher Education. Though he enjoyed working with youths, Elorza knew it was too late to switch majors. He graduated that year Summa Cum Laude in accounting with a job waiting on Wall Street. After graduation, he left for Wall Street but quickly realized the private sector wasn’t for him. “One day my father called me with the news that a good friend I’d known since I was young had been killed,” Elorza said. “That was it. I realized there were a lot of things going on, and I was not doing anything to help. I resigned within a week and moved back to Rhode Island.” Elorza took a summer job at Rhode Island College’s Upward Bound program, which prepares inner-city kids for college. He also caught up with his Talent Development counselor, Frank Forleo, who recommended he look into law school. Thus began his journey to Harvard Law School. When he began in Talent Development, Elorza never thought of coming back to help others. “I barely got by in high school, and when it came time, I wasn’t accepted at URI, RIC, or other places,” Elorza said. “I came into Talent Development unsure of myself and didn’t have the confidence to think that down the road I’d come back and do this for others.” This spring, Elorza is back on the Kingston Campus as an adjunct professor in business law. It’s the latest of many opportunities that have come through hard work. “The reason for all the opportunities I’ve had starts with the fact I have an awesome family,” said Elorza, who is the son of Guatemalan immigrants. “They are hard-working, humble people. They love to laugh, and they love. And that’s what I strive to be.” He’s more than on his way. Shane Donaldson ’99 is a sports reporter for the MetroWest Daily News based in Framingham, Mass. |
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