ZMA's Pam Fero Wins FIU CALI Award
Friday, January 21, 2011

ZMA Safety Rep Pamela Fero, a NATCA member since her FAA hiring in 1991, never quite saw her dream of becoming a lawyer as one that would eventually come true. In fact, it wasn’t until she was able to return to school in 2007 through NATCA’s partnership with the National Labor College (NLC) that all began to fall into place. Now, four years later, she has earned the CALI Award at Florida International University (FIU) College of Law for her study in Contracts.

The CALI (Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction) Award, referred to as the “Book Award” at FIU, is an Excellence for the Future Award that recognizes excellence achievement by law students in their particular studies. It is given to the student with the highest grade in the class as determined by the instructor, and we are proud to call our union sister the winner of such an honor. 

Fero’s remarkable achievement definitely didn’t come easily, heading to the NLC in pursuit of her ultimate goal while working full time at Miami Center and having young children to care for. With a little push from an Employments Rights professor and several NATCA employees, she set out to get her Juris Doctor, taking the LSAT in 2009 before being accepted at FIU. She was challenged her first semester by a course schedule that included Contracts, Torts, and a Legal Skills and Values writing class – a combination of classes that ultimately earned her a well-deserved spot on the Dean’s List.

Juggling her responsibilities between being a controller, law student and mother, Fero is grateful for scheduled days off. “Thanks to the CBA and support of my teammates at work,” she explains, “I am able to have my shifts changed to accommodate school.”

So, what’s up next for Fero? Constitutional Law, Civil Procedure, and Legal Skills and Values II fill this semester, with hopes for Labor Law in the summer.

NATCA congratulates Pam on her wonderful achievements thus far, and we wish her the best in all that is to come!

Click here to view a copy of Pam’s certificate!