Ava Douglas turns experience into purpose through criminal justice, research, and leadership

Douglas, a criminal justice major from Webster, New York, built an unusually broad resume during her time in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts. Through multiple internships, research, athletics, and campus involvement, she used each experience to sharpen her interests and better define the kind of legal career she hopes to pursue after graduation.

“I always knew I wanted to go to law school,” Douglas said. “I chose criminal justice because that’s just where my passions align with social justice and topics like that.”

During her time at RIT, Douglas completed three internships and held a paid research position at the Center for Public Safety Initiatives. Her internships included two roles at the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office—one in the local courts bureau and another in the special investigations bureau—as well as an internship at Harter Secrest & Emery, where she worked in intellectual property. At CPSI, she contributed to research focused on community violence prevention and intervention.

Those experiences did more than build her resume. They also helped her understand what kind of legal work she does—and does not—want to pursue.

“My internships at the district attorney’s office were very helpful because they kind of showed me that I don’t think I want to do criminal law,” Douglas said. “The cases were very interesting. The content was interesting, but it kind of showed me that it wasn’t necessarily the environment I wanted.”

At the same time, her intellectual property internship opened her eyes to how flexible her skill set could be.

“My skillset can go in so many different directions,” she said. “I never thought I would be working in intellectual property. … But I loved it. It was my favorite internship I’ve had.”

Now, as she looks toward law school, Douglas has a much clearer vision for her future. She plans to pursue sports law, a direction influenced by both her legal experiences and her personal interests.

“I really want to do sports law,” Douglas said. “I love football. I’m really interested in football. I love sports in general. Why don’t I combine that passion with everything I’ve learned in the legal field with all my internships?”

Douglas’ academic achievements at RIT reflect the same drive and ambition. She received the Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar Award, the John Klofas Research Scholar Award, and multiple criminal justice honors, and she is also a member of Chi Alpha Sigma, the national honor society for student-athletes.

One of the moments she is most proud of came through her research. Douglas contributed to the annual homicide report produced by CPSI, and one edition of that research was later cited in a White House article. Even though she felt the data was misrepresented in that context, seeing the work reach that level was still significant.

“It was kind of an accomplishment to have my name on the White House article,” Douglas said. “It was really cool just to see that my research was getting there.”

Her impact at RIT was not limited to academics. Douglas also challenged herself in entirely new ways outside the classroom. After joining the cheer team with no prior cheer experience, she eventually became a flyer and the top person in the team’s pyramid at nationals.

“I had never cheered before in my life,” Douglas said. “I joined it two years ago and this year I was flying at the top of the pyramid.”

What began as a leap outside her comfort zone became one of the defining experiences of her college years.

“It was literally so out of my ball game,” she said. “It was so much fun. It was really cool to show how brave I can be physically and emotionally, putting myself out there in a different way.”

Looking back, Douglas said her time at RIT taught her not only how to work hard, but also how to balance ambition with perspective. If she could give advice to her first-year self, she said, it would be simple: breathe.

“I’d probably go back and tell myself to calm down and have some fun,” Douglas said. “Not stress about school, because I clearly am ambitious and want to do so many things. I’m clearly going to get where I want.”

That mindset reflects a larger lesson she takes from college: growth often comes from being open to every experience, even the ones you never expected.

“One quality of myself that I’m really proud of is I say yes to everything,” Douglas said. “Just saying yes to every opportunity that’s come my way has been so beneficial because I have so many experiences.”

She credits much of that growth to the people who supported and challenged her along the way, especially her faculty mentors.

“Dr. Altheimer … has been my research mentor, and he really has pushed me to be independent,” Douglas said. “He’s really shaped my research abilities.” She also praised Joe Williams as “the biggest supporter of me” and “the biggest cheerleader of me.”

For Douglas, the College of Liberal Arts experience has been defined by exploration, hard work, and a willingness to pursue every opportunity with purpose. As she prepares for what comes next, she leaves RIT with the kind of confidence that comes from having tested herself in many different spaces—and found success in all of them.

“I feel like I know where I want to go because I’ve done so many different things,” Douglas said. “And it’s given me a really good perspective on life.