UCONN TODAY — Jacqui Arena was an opinionated and outspoken 13-year-old the first time someone told her she should be a lawyer. It took nearly 25 years for her to agree. In February 2021, deep into a career as certified registered nurse anesthetist at UConn Health, Arena found herself  working long hours on legal challenges involving her young stepson, who had been diagnosed with autism. “I was spending all my spare time reading through statutes and basically doing the work of a lawyer,” she said. “At some point, my husband started telling me I should just go to law school, and here we are.” Arena started classes in the Evening Division at the UConn School of Law in the fall with a new view of what a legal education could mean  in her life. “I think I’ve always been interested in many facets of the law; however, I decided to go the medical route once I was preparing for college,” she said. “It wasn’t until very recently that I realized that I could do both.” A native of Meriden, Connecticut, Arena earned a BS in psychology and biology from Fordham University, a BS in nursing from Fairfield University and an MS in nurse anesthesia from Drexel University.