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I met Grady last fall when he and his then girlfriend, Paloma, stopped by to say hello to former classmate and now Justin-Siena teacher, Paul Morlet ‘17. Grady was here to speak to Justin-Siena students about law school. While taking them on a campus tour, I decided to invite him to share his story of Justin-Siena.
I began by asking Grady the story of how he came by first name, and was intrigued by his account. His maternal great grandparents had come over from Ireland before the Great Depression; their last name was “O’Grady.” Grady’s mother decided to pass on to him the family name so it would not be lost.
In public middle school in St. Helena, Grady began thinking he would like to try something different for high school; he decided that Justin-Siena was the best option. His primary motivation was to forge a fresh experience and make friends with new people. Coming to Justin-Siena turned out to be an easy transition socially. In no time, Grady had created an entirely new friend group. Early on, Grady met his best friend, Sean Prasad ’17, who later served as his best man. Grady recalls struggling academically adjusting to the college prep program during his first semester. He found the challenge tough, but well worth it. Mr. Pierotti, his sophomore English teacher, was Grady’s favorite. This class helped him improve his writing skills, and ultimately got him thinking about law school. As Grady sees it, Justin-Siena gave him life-changing confidence that prepared him for college socially and academically. Heading to St. John’s University in NY, with a student body of 18,000, he nonetheless felt comfortable taking such a big risk.
In law school, Grady rediscovered the Lasallian Core Principles and gave back to his community by becoming a teacher assistant and mentoring younger students. Having graduated cum laude in May from New York Law School, Grady will take the New York Bar Exam in July. With a passion for property law, he will begin practicing commercial real estate at Clifford Chance in New York.
Paloma and Grady who got married last September in St. Helena, plan to remain in New York City. For fun, the couple enjoys picnics in Central Park, weekly happy hour with law school buddies, and reading. Paloma will start nursing school this summer.
If any Justin-Siena alums or current students would like to talk about law school, Grady would love to help! You can contact him at: (707) 815-7301 or gradymiller1013@gmail.com.
It was a pleasure spending time via Zoom learning Grady's Justin-Siena story. Entering to learn, and leaving to serve his legal community, Grady truly is #ALLHEART.
Thank you!
Jennifer Rasler ‘86
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