Lam Ho, C'17

Lam Ho, C'17
Business Immigration Analyst (Paralegal)
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Major: English

Lam Ho, C’17, is a business immigration analyst at a law firm in Atlanta, Georgia. She advocates for foreign nationals who want to work in the United States by facilitating their paperwork and making sure they experience smooth entry into the country. Because immigration is a constantly evolving process, Lam works steadily with both the foreign nationals and the companies they work for to make sure that employees maintain their legal status as well.

“My learning style and journalistic background have helped me work well with the attorneys because I have experience with rules and revisions,” Lam says. “I’m not afraid of writing. I’m the one asking for all the writing assignments, and that makes me stand out.”

But this confidence didn’t come easily. Lam says she had a difficult time identifying as an English major at first and had to make a concerted effort at building self-assurance.

“I was into nonfiction and data analysis, and sometimes that’s far removed from the more artistic viewpoints,” Lam says. “But at Sewanee I had a lot of professors who pushed me to be myself and who helped me be more comfortable with my niche.”

Being comfortable with writing is important to Lam. She doesn’t just write at work, either. Lam thinks that part of being a good employee is taking care of mental health, so she sets aside time to journal at home. That’s when you know a person’s job isn’t just a mundane career—it’s truly a vocation.

“Sewanee made an investment in me,” Lam says. “And if I could give advice to incoming students, I’d say this: Be proud of yourself. Own your major. Learn how to market yourself and your talents. When someone asks them, ‘What are you going to do with that?’ I hope students have a confident answer after four years at Sewanee like I had.”