Rising Through Resilience: Snow Nelson’s Journey to BYU Law

April 2025

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Snow Nelson grew up in a world filled with obstacles. Her father was incarcerated when she was just a year old and later deported to Haiti, leaving her mother to raise Nelson and her brother alone.

The trio initially moved in with relatives but sadly faced abuse. Eventually,  Nelson’s mother left and took her children to a shelter. However, the shelter was overcrowded, and they ended up sleeping on the streets. Her mother tirelessly homeschooled the children, filling their days with visits to museums and libraries. “My mom tried to create some kind of normalcy for us,” Nelson recalls. “Even when we had nothing, she made sure we were learning, experiencing, growing.”

Then Nelson was nearly hit by an oncoming train. “I fell on the tracks, and suddenly a police officer jumped down and pulled me up just seconds before the train rushed by,” she says. That’s when Nelson’s mom decided to move with her children to their grandmother’s house. “It was just too dangerous out there,” Nelson says.

Although their home life still proved difficult at her grandmother’s, Nelson earned her GED and started college soon after. Due to life circumstances she had to stop and start college again more than once, but she remained determined to finish.

One day, missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints knocked on her door. The missionaries’ prayers for her sparked a series of small miracles, including a scholarship that helped her return to college. After several years, Nelson decided to be baptized, and it was through her relationship with the missionaries that she discovered BYU Law.

“I knew I needed to make an impression on the dean of BYU Law,” she recalls. “I called my mom and said a prayer. Then the thought came to me, ‘I think I saw that the dean will be in California next week for a conference.”

She made a leap of faith to go to California, and it paid off. Nelson met the dean and was warmly invited to apply. She later was accepted as an Achievement Fellow, earning a full-ride scholarship. “This scholarship isn’t just about taking away the burden of debt,” she explains. “If I had to work full-time, I couldn’t be here. I couldn’t focus on my son the way I do.”

Now president of the BYU Black Law Students Association, Nelson has worked to create an inclusive and supportive space for all students, breaking barriers and fostering unity. Her passion for service also extends beyond campus. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Nelson coordinated food donations for families in need.

From a homeless shelter in Brooklyn to the halls of BYU Law School, Snow Nelson is proof that even the most difficult beginnings can lead to extraordinary outcomes. “There’s nothing you can tell me that would stop me from believing in God,” she says. “I know life is hard. Every day is a challenge. But I stay prayerful, I stay resilient, and I keep moving forward because I know I can help people.”