I just learned today that Elijah Lichtenberg, who has been my writing student since high school, has just been accepted to USC Gould School of Law. Elijah will be transferring from Southwestern Law School to USC after being at Southwestern for one year. While there, he not only maintained a 4.0 GPA in his law studies, but he also was the top student in his Legal Research and Writing class, earning him the Witkin Award of Academic Excellence.

Elijah and I are old friends. We have spent many hours together over the years as he has worked on honing his writing craft. Of course, I’m not surprised that he was the top student in his legal writing class because I know just how hard he will work to make whatever he does as close to perfect as he can. That is the primary trait that has carried him through his life with its many successes in academics and sports.

Elijah is not just an award-winning student, but also was an outstanding high school and college soccer player, who served as team captain for his junior and senior years at Beverly Hills High School and Claremont McKenna College. After graduating from college, he was chosen for the highly selective USA Men’s Maccabi soccer team to compete in the Maccabiah World Games in Israel. He not only scored in the quarter finals, bu also helped his team bring home the gold medal in the final game against Britain. In other words, Elijah works his rear-end off, no matter what it is he decides to do.

Elijah would be the first to tell you that he attributes his success to his father, who has taught him that anything of value comes from commitment and hard work. Whenever Elijah has been faced with an obstacle in school, sports or life, his dad has always told him, “Refocus and push through to the other side.” I have watched Elijah do just that, again and again, and his success as a law student is just one more example of a young man who aims for the top in whatever he does.

When Elijah called today to tell me the good news of his acceptance to USC Gould School of Law, I immediately got teary-eyed. If anyone deserves to go to one of the top law school in the country, it is this young man, who has proven himself to be such a fighter in this life. I could not be prouder of him for yet again working hard to reach a goal that was important to him.

Congratulations, Elijah, you did it! Off you go, my dear, to continue to make a significant difference in this world. I love you and wish you every happiness. Hooray!