Tulane SoPA student speaker offers message of resilience and renewal
When given a second shot at earning a college degree, Ben Singer vowed that he would not miss. Today, Singer is a graduate of the Tulane School of Professional Advancement (SoPA) and will serve as the student commencement speaker for its 2025 diploma ceremony.
Like many first-year college students, Singer graduated from high school and was hit with all the pressures that accompany the newfound freedom associated with being on your own for the first time.
After a short break from pursuing his degree, he leaned on his family—and Tulane SoPA— for the support he needed to get back on track.
“I enrolled at a university in Virginia after high school and let’s just say that it did not go well,” recalls Singer. “After taking some time to get myself together, I enrolled at the Tulane School of Professional Advancement and that led me where am I today.”
Singer says he is most grateful that Tulane SoPA took a chance on his success even though he applied with less-than-stellar grades.
“It was like they believed in me from the beginning,” said Singer. “Robyn Ice, my program director, has been an incredible resource by nominating me for different awards and even recommending me for the opportunity to be student speaker.”
Ice, program director for the General Legal Studies program and the Business and Leadership Studies program at SoPA, says that Singer was an exceptional student and brought a positive spirit to his classes and to the program overall.
“Ben has distinguished himself through his academic achievements, positive leadership and support of other students and his service to Tulane, SoPA, and the community,” wrote Ice in a nomination letter for the Tulane 34 Award for which he has been named a recipient.
Singer completed the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in General Legal Studies in December 2024 along with a minor in Economics and a minor in Business through the A.B. Freeman School of Business. He completed his studies with a 4.0 GPA and was inducted into the Alpha Sigma Lambda Honor Society for adult learners and the Lambda Epsilon Chi Honor Society for legal studies students.
While pursuing his degree, he was active in several volunteer service organizations, including the Miracle League, American Cancer Society, Special Olympics and the One Love Foundation. Singer also served as a paralegal intern for the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana, where he created and implemented a system for internal case file management.
This fall, Singer hopes to begin law school. Ultimately, he aspires to a role where he can offer legal counsel to entrepreneurs and small business owners.
“I currently work for a hedge fund in San Francisco and I’m really into the business side of things, which is why I chose to minor in business and economics,” says Singer. “There are so many entrepreneurs who learn their business, but they don’t know the law. I can be the person that helps them.”
As for his speech, Singer says it’s still a work in progress, but he knows the message that he’d like to share: Don’t give up on yourself.
