Spotlight
Switching Gears: How Alex Cox Found His Path in Law at Southern Virginia University
Although a major or career-path switch is common among undergraduates, the change can still feel daunting or unsettling. Alex Cox (’24) found himself in this situation when he decided mid-studies to pursue law instead of medicine.
Thankfully, with the help of his professors and mission, Cox was able to navigate the change with support and graduate from Southern Virginia University in three years. Now, he is headed to the University of South Carolina to attend the Joseph F. Rice School of Law this fall.
“My advisor Dr. Gessell helped me a lot,” said Cox. “I was a philosophy major, even when I was planning on med school, so when I decided on law, he helped me figure out what classes to take. And when I switched my minor from biology to Spanish and discovered that I could test out of the minor’s classes because of my mission, Dr. Konstantinova was a big help in that process.”
“What I wanted from an education, more than anything, was to enhance my ability to succeed in life,” Cox continued. “Philosophy has helped me to be able to analyze what I’m reading, create ideas and opinions, and then gather them into coherent statements. And that’s exactly what I needed for pursuing law.”
When he realized he would graduate early because of his completed Spanish credits, Cox decided to apply for law school early instead of taking a gap year as he had originally planned. After taking the LSAT in November of his senior year, he spent winter break applying for programs and was quickly accepted into the University of South Carolina.
“For now, I’m planning on going into construction law,” said Cox. “It’s what my dad does, but I’ll definitely be keeping my eyes open as I’m studying and working over the next couple of years. If there’s something that I take particular interest in, then just go for it.”
Cox was introduced to Southern Virginia University through Especially for Youth (now For the Strength of Youth), a program hosted on the campus by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He decided to attend for a year before his mission and, having competed in high school, joined the men’s golf team.
“During my senior year of high school, I found out they had a new golf program. I reached out to the coach, and the more I learned, the more I liked it,” said Cox. “I later came to campus for an official visit for golf and then again for an open house. Both times my parents and I left knowing this is where I needed to be.”
As a student, Cox thrived in his relationships with his professors, thanks to the small class sizes that made participating in discussions easy for him.
“You don’t have to speak up in every class to build a relationship with your professor,” Cox continued. “But participating in class and communicating with the faculty really helps you both. They always want to help you succeed.”
Cox served his mission in Utah and Mexico. While a student, he served on the student athletic advisory committee, was recognized on the VaSID Academic All-State Team for two years, and was recently selected to the VaSID 2023-2024 Academic All-State Team. He also met Grace Howell (‘26), a member of the women’s tennis team, and they were recently married in St. George, Utah.