Colette Dafoe (‘97) is an office managing partner at Nixon Peabody in Washington, D.C. Her journey from Homer to a major law firm started with her interest in student government. 

“I loved my government class, which actually leans towards why I was interested in law.” Dafoe said. One of the things that we did while in government class was identify challenges that were happening here in the community and how much we could actually influence decisions in our local environment.” 

At Nixon Peabody, Colette manages complex issues with clients on commercial real estate transactions, seniors housing and in affordable housing. Colette credits much of her professional success to her time participating in athletics while in Homer. 

“I played soccer, basketball and softball here, which made me figure out how to prioritize my time,” Dafoe said. “Sports had me really hone in on that competitive spirit and figure out how to gracefully win and gracefully lose.” 

To current Homer students, Colette offers this advice: “Take risks and try new things—whether in clubs, sports, music or theater. These experiences build confidence and prepare you for the future.”