AMERICA | A 33-year-old single mother of five, Leshia Champs, has overcome enormous life challenges to achieve her lifelong dream of becoming a lawyer, graduating at the top of her class from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law.
Champs’ path to success was filled with different challenges. From a troubled childhood and homelessness to personal tragedy and financial hardship, her journey is one of resilience, faith, and determination.
Leshia's Story and How She Did It
Champs, from Houston, experienced instability from a young age. Her parents struggled with drug addiction, leading her into foster care. Though later adopted by an uncle, the arrangement did not last, and she eventually moved between friends’ homes before becoming homeless.
Despite these struggles, she first dreamed of becoming a lawyer at just eight years old after attending a career day. But as life grew harder, that dream seemed increasingly impossible.
She eventually dropped out of high school and became involved with drugs and alcohol, drifting further away from her aspirations.
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The year 2009 became one of the hardest periods of her life. A house fire destroyed everything she owned, and soon after, the father of her children was diagnosed with cancer.
From there, she experienced one challenge after another. After his passing, grief and pressure overwhelmed her, pushing her to a breaking point. Champs later admitted she almost gave up completely.
But encouragement from her pastor became a turning point. She was urged to return to school and pursue the dream she had buried for years.
Though hesitant at first, believing the world had written her off, she finally decided to try again, this time for herself and her children.
Champs began by earning her GED, then completed an associate degree in paralegal studies at Houston Community College, followed by a bachelor’s degree at the University of Houston.
Those achievements eventually led her to Thurgood Marshall School of Law, where she pursued her Juris Doctor degree while raising five children as a single mother.
Her children became part of her success story. They helped quiz her with flashcards, acted as mock jurors while she studied, and her oldest son stepped in to help care for his younger siblings so their mother could focus on her studies.
In 2018, Champs graduated at the top of her class, taking a celebratory photo with her children that later went viral. “I felt like I wasn’t the only person who graduated,” she said. “There were a lot of sacrifices my kids put in, too,” she shared.
After graduation, Champs sat for the Texas Bar Exam, which she passed, officially qualifying her to practice law in the state.
She described the moment she read her bar results as a very unforgettable one. “For me to be here right now, it’s unbelievable. God is allowing me to see I’ve brought you through all this and now, bam, you’re here,” she said.
Now a licensed attorney, Champs hopes to focus on family and juvenile law, with a long-term goal of becoming a judge.
Having experienced instability as a child, she hopes to use her career to support vulnerable children and families facing similar situations.
“I want to fight for children who feel like there’s no hope,” she explained. “To help them find better opportunities and brighter futures.”
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