Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Parallels

legal minds, family bonds and optimistic visions across the generations

LITZY BAUTISTA ’23

President of William Smith Congress and aspiring lawyer

Former Intern for Brian Barnwell, New York City’s District 30 Representative

Junior Board Member of the Boys & Girls Club of Geneva

Major: Political Science and Latin American Studies

Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.

JONIS BELU-JOHN ’04

General Counsel at a startup

J.D. from Georgetown University

Former Student Trustee

Major: Political Science and French

Hometown: Upper Marlboro, Md.

What interests you most about the law? LB: Being able to protect and defend my community. JBJ: Helping people solve difficult problems that they cannot solve alone.

Favorite political science course? LB: Modern Political Theory. JBJ: Native People’s Politics.

If you could share a meal with anyone, living or dead, who would they be? LB: My grandparents. JBJ: Either of my parents and their parents.

What’s the most interesting thing about you that’s not on your résumé? LB: I’ve been trying to learn Zapoteco, an indigenous language spoken by the Zapotec people in Oaxaca, Mexico, which is my father’s first language. JBJ: I underwent rites of passage as a teenager in my father’s ancestral village in Sierra Leone. Who I am as a man is a direct result of that experience.

What motivates you? LB: My younger siblings and parents. JBJ: Making my family proud of me.

Who is your hero? LB: My parents — their journey of moving to the U.S. and raising a family will always amaze me. JBJ: I just welcomed my second son, and the difficulty that my wife endured during both postpartum periods is unbelievable. She is my hero.

If you could wake up tomorrow with a new skill, ability or quality, what would it be? LB: Being able to speak all languages! JBJ: Getting my newborn to sleep at night.

What are you most grateful for? LB: The beauty the Earth provides. JBJ: The life and good health of myself and my family.

What’s the best way to start the day? LB: Going to the gym. JBJ: Some good music and karate exercises with my son.

What is something you will never do again? LB: Eat pickles. JBJ: Climb Mount Fuji.

Name two things that make you optimistic about the future. LB: Technological advancement helping us be more eco-friendly, and social movements helping us reach racial equity. JBJ: The beauty I see in my kids’ faces, and my upcoming vacation. (Don’t judge me. Lockdown was long.)