Linda S. Broyhill ’71 knew exactly where she wanted to continue her education after high school. However, the University of Virginia (UVA) at that time didn’t allow women to attend for their first year. Her father tried to convince her to attend The College of William & Mary, but Broyhill wasn’t so sure. Aimlessly searching for an alternative, she saw an ad for Wesley College in Seventeen magazine. “I thought, ‘This looks great! It’s a small school, it’s close to home, it’s near the beach. I think I’ll go there.’ ” She applied, then came for a visit and fell in love with the campus.

At Wesley, Broyhill said she was “one of those boring people,” a classification she credits for helping her graduate with a 4.0 GPA. But beyond earning good grades, she thrived in an atmosphere that allowed her to explore new beliefs and ideals. Experiences at Wesley also helped equip this first generation career woman with the skills to tackle any adversity that would come her way.

Although Broyhill was raised and educated in the Catholic faith, she kept an open mind about Protestantism while attending a United Methodist school. Wesley students were then required to attend chapel and take a religion course. “I took Old Testament and it was one of my favorite courses. I loved going to chapel and I loved the Protestant Church and I thought, ‘Gee, maybe this is what Christianity is all about.’ At that young age, it profoundly affected my outlook on the world,” said Broyhill. The new perspective she gained was not unlike the unique experiences that many young people encounter today through higher education. The major differ­ence, however, was the time period in which she experienced college and the context of the world around her. In the early 1970s, more doors were starting to open for young women. Although women had been attending college for years, schools across the nation were still male dominated and most women graduates were pursu­ing more traditionally feminine jobs. Amongst the unrest of the Vietnam War and Women’s Liberation, Broyhill was among the first generation of women seeking a career in law.

The progressive mentoring from Wesley faculty members allowed students like Broyhill to come to their own conclusions and establish their own belief systems. Perhaps the most engaging was Uncle Louie. Broyhill remembers his English class and all the research she conducted for her paper defending women’s rights, just as landmark case Roe v. Wade altered abortion laws to protect women’s health.

Outside of the classroom, Broyhill thoroughly enjoyed living with the other young women in Budd Hall. Spending time with her dormmates, sharing the laughs and the tears, taking trips to Rehoboth Beach and the occasional mischief rounded out her education with a healthy support system. “It was the happiest time of my post high school education. I was very happy at Wesley,” she said.

After graduating from Wesley Junior College, Broyhill transferred to UVA. Although others encouraged her again to attend William & Mary, she was determined to follow her dream and go to the university she had already waited two years to attend. Her experiences there were the complete opposite of those at Wesley. The university was much larger and predominantly male. In class, Broyhill was one of only a handful of female students in classes that ranged from 150 to 250 students. At that time, the faculty was comprised of all men and some would not even call on female students “for fear they would cry.” Broyhill lived off campus in an apartment by herself and at times, she wished she was back at Wesley.

She had entered a new world for career-oriented women in America without the luxury of female mentors. Still, Broyhill faced each challenge head on and never compro­mised her goals. She graduated from UVA with her B.S. in Education in 1973 and decided to return to UVA six years later to pursue a degree in law. She hoped to help the family business, Broyhill Enterprises, Inc., by practicing real estate law. “I thought I had the right skills and it was that time in our country where women were empowered to go into male dominated professions.”

Shortly after graduating from law school in 1983, Broyhill worked for Hazel & Thomas, P.C., a small real estate firm where she ended up practicing bankruptcy law. In 1992, she practiced at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP. By 2003, Broyhill was practicing both bankruptcy and real estate in her current position at international firm Reed Smith LLP in Falls Church, Virginia. A little over a year ago, she was elected by her peers and the publishers of Virginia Business Magazine’s Legal Elite as one of Virginia’s “Best Bankruptcy Attorneys”. One of her greatest memories and accomplishments was when her firm filed and confirmed the first Chapter 11 reorganization plan for a Class I Railroad in the United States under the new Bankruptcy Code.

Broyhill now lives in Vienna, Virginia with her husband Robert Lawrence, who is also an attorney. Although free time is scarce for the couple, Broyhill says she enjoys that time indulging her “passion for fashion.” She also loves to spend time in her garden and likes to cook, particularly in the winter months. Her husband is an accomplished saxophonist and loves to entertain when they have get-togethers with family or friends.

Despite the long hours of such a demanding career, Broyhill served her local American Red Cross board for the past 20 years, the last three of which she served as chair. As a native of Arlington, Virginia and a resident of Fairfax County since 1960 when the area was still very rural, Broyhill is very proud of how the area has grown and prospered since then. “Fairfax County and Tyson’s Corner have become one of the largest, most populous areas in Virginia. I enjoyed watching the transformation of my hometown into a little thriving city.” Serving and providing leadership to her local Red Cross chap­ter was very meaningful because it allowed her to give back to the community she loves and still be dedicated to her profession.

Looking back on her career, Broyhill credits Wesley College for providing the building blocks for a lifetime of success. “Wesley helped me get into UVA and law school and gave me the foundation that makes me who I am now,” she said. She jokes that her greatest accomplishment may be surviving 20 years of practicing law. “It’s been a wild ride, that’s for sure.”

Her advice to currents students, especially young women, who are considering a career in law is to realize the inevitable sacrifices that come with such an ambitious career path. “This is a stressful job. It is a lot of responsibility and long hours,” she noted. Yet, she is quick to note the highlights of her field. “In the entire practice of law what I enjoy the most is when I have a diagnostic challenge. I like being able to find a way to fix a problem or find an answer to a question no one else can find. That’s what I have always excelled at,” she said.

When Broyhill graduated from Wesley, she received a small silver candy dish as a reward for her perfect GPA. Recently, she found the tarnished silver memento, had it polished and now proudly displays it in her home. “Whenever I see it, it reminds me of Wesley and all the fond memories.” To this day, she still considers it one of her most cherished possessions.