Meet Ariana Sky | Paralegal

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ariana Sky and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ariana, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Living with a chronic illness, such as Type 1 Diabetes, has its highs and its lows. Some days it’s easy to want to give up. The feeling of being discouraged by seeing your blood sugar struggle to settle down or feeling like nobody understands you, can be extremely difficult. But then I take a minute to reflect and remember all that I do have and am grateful for. I realize that I have the best support system, my parents. It makes me keep going, keep pushing forward, keep fighting. Although I live with Type 1 Diabetes, I will won’t let it stand in my way and make me give up.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am currently in school to become a Paralegal. That being said, becoming a Paralegal was not my first decision. After I graduated with my bachelors degree I decided that I wanted to take a year off and prepare myself for Law School. Unfortunately, my timing wasn’t the best. Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes I had to make a few changes in my personal life as well as my future career. When I did the math, my age at the time, how many years I would be in law school, and what age I would be when I graduated, and take the BAR exam, it didn’t add up. Why? Because at the age of 26 I would be cut off my parents health insurance. For some this might not be scary but as a type 1 diabetic, this impacts my health greatly. Living with type 1 diabetes I need access to my medication and my team of doctors. This can all be pretty pricey even with insurance but especially without insurance. I knew that I wanted to stay in the field of law but wasn’t sure where to turn to. I started doing some research of my own and noticed that one of the colleges that I used to attend has an amazing Paralegal/Legal Assistant program in my city. I was so excited! Sure, it meant more school but only for a year and I would graduate before my 24th birthday! I quickly scheduled a meeting with an advisor and they helped me in terms of what I need to do, have prepared, and I even reached out to a few of the professors. I am now one year in and will graduate this upcoming May with my Paralegal certification. I couldn’t be more glad that this was the route that I decided to choose. It has helped me in many aspects of my life and my happiness. It’s super easy to put pressure on ourselves and especially being in my early 20s, I felt that pressure. I was lost and very unhappy for a little while. But when I entered this program and educated myself more, I felt this sense of relief with my decision.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend were to come to Dallas I would definitely take them to Downtown Dallas for some great food and amazing drinks. And of course when you come to Dallas you have to visit the Star in Frisco, Dallas Cowboys baby! So many amazing restaurants but so many fun memories that you can make as well. Another place that I would take them to would be Shops of Legacy and Legacy West in Plano, Texas. Talk about amazing restaurants and drinks!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My mother and my father deserve a huge shoutout. They both immigrated to the United States from the middle east, speaking little to no english, and built an amazing life here. When they decided to have children I’m sure they didn’t expect their only child to end up living with a chronic illness that has no cure. That being said, they both have done an amazing job in showing me what it’s like to keep fighting and never backing down from a challenge. They are the best support system. Always supporting my dreams, staying up and helping me recover from a severely low blood sugar or high blood sugar, educating others about Type 1 Diabetes, and working hard.

Instagram: arianasjourney_