Jan. 23, 2017
Macey Webb has spent parts of her last four summer vacations on mission trips to Honduras to try to help others. Inspired by those trips, the South Carolina senior softball student-athlete is preparing to go to law school so that assisting others can be her life’s work.
“I realized I really liked law, and I wanted to help people more than anything,” Webb said. “Going on my mission trips connected back to law because, ultimately, with my law degree, I want to help people, particularly in fighting against human trafficking.
“My long-term goal would be to work for someone like the IJM (International Justice Mission) board, and help with fighting human trafficking. If I’m not working with them, then I just want to become involved in a nonprofit organization that is helping victims of human tracking. That’s what I have a passion for.”
Webb, a native of Stanfield, N.C., will earn her degree in political science from South Carolina in May and has already been accepted to one law school and is awaiting responses from several other schools, including the University of South Carolina School of Law.
“I’m feeling pretty good about it,” Webb said. “Once I got the first acceptance, it was a weight off my shoulders. I know I’m going somewhere, so I’m happy.”
Webb said she felt like she grew up in a courtroom.
“My mom is a school social worker, and I used to go to court with her,” Webb said. “That kind of sparked an interest. My grandma works for an attorney in my hometown, so I’ve had the chance to go there and grow up in a law firm a little bit.”
Webb’s mission trips to Roatan, Honduras, opened her eyes to troubling situations.
“When I went to Honduras, I’d go out to these communities and see girls whose families had prostituted or `pimped’ them out,” Webb said. “These were young girls. One girl was 12 years old. It’s just hard to see girls in those situations. They don’t really have a voice. Once I started seeing these things and how I could connect it to law school, I decided I didn’t just want to become a criminal attorney. I realized I could do more and help these girls who don’t have a voice.”
In the past, Webb had said that if she could help just one person on her mission trip, then it was worth it. As a lawyer, she knows she could impact a greater number.
“With law, you are able to do a lot of different things,” Webb said. “Once a court case is settled, that ruling is going to apply to a lot of cases and a lot of people as a precedent. I still want to go after that one girl I can help because that one life matters. Ultimately, the goal is to help all of the girls in these areas that are facing these things.”
Playing softball here at South Carolina has taught me to never stop fighting and to get back up because there is always going to be another opportunity.
Macey Webb
Webb acknowledged that the game of softball and the challenges of being a student-athlete at South Carolina have helped prepare her for the next phases of her life.
“Just managing softball, working out, conditioning, along with the rigors of my political science major; it’s been hard to find the time to do everything I want to do and be successful,” Webb said. “Time management is a big thing that being here has taught me.
“With softball, I’ve also learned about failure. You are going to have those times in your life when you feel like you are not amounting to anything because you keep getting knocked on your butt. Playing softball here at South Carolina has taught me to never stop fighting and to get back up because there is always going to be another opportunity.”
Further down the road, Webb would also consider an opportunity to run for public office.
“I just want to help people,” Webb said. “By running for office, I’d like to change the culture in our political system. I would definitely like to be in the House or Senate someday. That would be my ideal position. I really like interacting with people.
“I don’t know if I’ll go all the way up to president,” Webb laughed. “I’ll be pulling my hair out all the time.”
After some thought, Webb said that if she did become president, her first objective would also derive from personal experience.
“With my dad being in the military, I’d probably really work to strengthen our military, but also to give veterans more benefits,” Webb said. “I feel like our V.A. system is not exactly functioning the way it should be. I’d really want to help our military and veterans because I know how hard it is for military families when their spouse or loved one is deployed.”
Webb is looking forward to her senior season with the Gamecocks, and then she is looking into a mission trip to Israel this summer before law school begins.
“I’m just looking forward to the future and where God is going to guide me to go to law school,” Webb said. “I’m looking forward to this season and seeing how it all plays out. I’m excited for our team and the relationships I’ve developed here and seeing where life takes us after this.”
