Send Kitso to Law School
Thank you for visiting Kitso's fundraising page! Below we have summarized Kitso's journey to law school in the United States from Botswana, and why she is now in urgent need of our help. We hope you will consider contributing.
Kitso Matlhape, the eldest of five children, was born and raised in Botswana. She has four sisters who range in age from 3 months to 15. Kitso spent most of her childhood in a small city called Francistown, where her mother was employed by one of the largest banks in the U.S. When Kitso and her family first moved there in 2005, they did not have childcare, so she would go to the bank every day after to school to wait for her mother to finish work. What should have been very boring afternoons turned out to be truckloads of inspiration for young Kitso to work hard and one day dress as elegantly as the corporate bankers. At a young age, Kitso also developed a strong liking for music. By imitating some of the great soul, R&B and gospel singers, Kitso developed her own singing voice. Music and singing remain a big part of Kitso’s everyday life. She also loves learning about any new subject matter, reading books and listening to podcasts.
In May of 2019, she received her Masters of Laws in the U.S. Legal System from the University of Cincinnati. She was a member of the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Team and competed in Hong Kong while she was at UC Law. Kitso obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Botswana. She worked previously as an intern at Dow & Associates, a firm founded by Unity Dow, Botswana’s first female High Court Judge and current Minister of International Affairs & Cooperation. There Kitso gained experience in real estate, corporate, commercial transactions and human rights. After completing her Masters of Laws, Kitso spent a year with the Graydon Law Firm as an international fellow, where she assisted in legal matters ranging from bankruptcy to family law to commercial real estate transactions. In spring of 2020, Kitso learned that she had been accepted into UC Law's J.D. program.
To sum it up: Kitso is an incredibly tenacious, passionate, caring, and smart person that this world is lucky to have.
WHY KITSO NEEDS US: Unfortunately, student lending has proven to be extremely difficult for an international student, and the funding Kitso thought she secured through a loan program has fallen through. Kitso has secured a substantial amount of scholarship money and also has secured part-time work to cover her living expenses, but the scholarship money has not covered the entirety of her tuition costs. Kitso is now in urgent need of funds, primarily due to visa requirements which require she show proof of funds prior to the start of the semester in order to obtain her visa in the first place. If she doesn't secure the funds she needs, she will not be able to start classes on August 24 and will be required to leave the country.
We hope that you will consider contributing to Kitso's education. We know that she will be an incredible addition to the university and to the legal community in Cincinnati.