Before a car accident at 15 years old resulted in paraplegia, Allea was a “volleyball-playing, hula-dancing, boogie-boarding gal who loved to feel the ground beneath her.” She started hula at four years old and before long was entered in age group competitions. Soon came basketball, then she played first base and shortstop for a club softball team. But when she started playing volleyball, she felt she had found her calling and focused solely on the sport. Her high school team won the league championship the season before her injury.

The aftermath of her injury ignited a new passion for a career in law, as she felt the lawyer on her accident case helped expose her to the dynamics of the legal system in a way that made sense and offered an environment she could thrive in. Allea graduated high school and completed an associate’s degree in political science at San Diego Mesa College and received a bachelor’s degree in legal studies from USC in spring 2024. She returns to USC this fall to pursue an MA in Dispute Resolution.

‍