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Advocating for an Inspiring Career
Evita Nwosu-Sylvester's career started with uncertainty, but that uncertainty was soon replaced by opportunity when she joined Freddie Mac’s Attorney Center for Excellence (ACE) Program. As an inaugural member of the two-year rotational program for recent law school graduates, Evita learned the ins-and-outs of corporate legal work, while gaining the confidence to advocate for herself and others. Now, after completing the program and transitioning into a senior role on Freddie Mac’s Multifamily fair lending team, she continues to uncover opportunities to weave her passion into her work, paving an inspiring career path all her own.
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When Evita graduated from law school in 2020, she had a job lined up in New York and was ready to start her legal career, until the pandemic threw a wrench in her plans and the opportunity fell through. As she searched for jobs online, she was intrigued by Freddie Mac’s ACE Program, both for its professional and personal opportunities.
“The program seemed like a great first job out of law school because of its attorney training,” Evita said. “But I also knew from my job research that Freddie Mac was part of a network of companies that are known for being disability inclusive. When I heard that, I knew this was going to be a place where I could accomplish my professional goals and pursue my passion.”
Evita’s passion for disability advocacy stems from personal experience, as Evita developed a physical disability at a young age. Knowing that Freddie Mac had an inclusive culture that would support her and welcome her unique perspective was a key factor in choosing to apply. When she learned she had been accepted to the ACE Program’s first cohort, she was initially nervous. Ultimately, however, she saw the chance to shape her own career.
“It was scary because we were the first, so we were kind of like the guinea pigs. But it was exciting because I got to build something and make it my own. I got to seek out the opportunities I wanted,” Evita said. “For example, I was really interested in employment law because of my passion for disability rights. Employment law wasn't originally part of the program, but I specifically requested and was granted the opportunity to work in that department. Now, future ACE Fellows can participate in that rotation because I opened the door.”
Becoming an Attorney and an Advocate Through the ACE Program
As an ACE Fellow, Evita had the opportunity to participate in up to seven rotations, each approximately three months long, through some of the core, client-facing practice areas of Freddie Mac’s Legal Division. These include Single-Family and Multifamily Real Estate, Litigation and Legislative Affairs, among others, as well as a reverse secondment at an external law firm.
One initiative Evita is especially proud of is her initiation of changes to both the Single-Family and Multifamily Seller-Servicer guides in support of disability inclusion. This initiative was a huge win in Evita’s early career and inspired her to get more involved in disability advocacy.
Aside from her core work, Evita also began serving as the liaison between Freddie Mac’s Abilities business resource group (BRG) and Disability:IN, a leading nonprofit for disability inclusion in the business world, and joined the legal division’s diversity and inclusion council.
It was on the council where her diversity passion really took off. She and her colleagues created an introductory presentation on neurodiversity, which they initially presented to a group of more than 100 colleagues in the legal division, before taking the presentation companywide.
Making the Move to Multifamily
When she completed her rotations, Evita was ready for her next career opportunity, but she wasn’t ready to leave Freddie Mac. Through the connections she made during the ACE Program, a colleague recommended Evita for a position on the Multifamily fair lending team. Her new role includes civil rights work, which ties closely to her passions and will allow her to make an even greater impact.
“Disability is a protected class, so I feel that this role will help me incorporate some of my advocacy passion into my day-to-day work as well,” Evita said.
Although Evita’s career began during uncertain times, she is thankful to have landed at Freddie Mac and excited for the future.
“My time at Freddie Mac has been challenging, but also life-changing and transformative,” she said. “It has taught me so much about myself, what I’m capable of and what I can achieve.”
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