From Pins and Needles to Champagne Toasts: Grads Reflect on Bar Exam Results

The ping of an email notification. A chance encounter with a mail carrier. A squealing celebration with a toddler. For University of North Carolina School of Law graduates, the moment of receiving their bar exam results arrives in myriad ways, each a build-up of months of anticipation and preparation.

Kayley Carpenter ’24 was caught off guard when her results arrived. “I was speaking with a co-worker at the courthouse when I got an alert on my Apple watch,” she recounts. “I immediately jumped up and ran out of the courtroom with my phone to check my portal. My pulse was racing, my ears became hot… I opened my portal, navigated to my results letter, and saw ‘Congratulations.’ I felt like I could finally breathe again after months of careful preparation.”

For Katrina Hauprich ’24, the news found her in a bustling airport lounge. “I was in the American Airlines lounge of the Boston airport when I checked my results and saw that I passed!” she shares, excitement palpable in her words. “I gasped and felt SO much joy and relief. I decided to order a glass of champagne as a treat—fortunately, an 11 AM glass of wine is socially acceptable in an airport!”

While Carpenter and Hauprich received their news electronically, other alumni found unique ways to get their results. Kyle Evans ’15, now a staff attorney with the General Assembly’s nonpartisan Legislative Analysis Division, crafted a plan worthy of a legal strategist. Knowing his mail carrier’s route, Evans intercepted him mid-delivery. “I loitered around [the mailman’s] truck, waiting for him to finish, and when he got back, I explained that I was expecting my bar exam results and asked if I could go ahead and take delivery of my mail there at his truck.” His ingenuity paid off, and his mail carrier became “the first person I told that I had passed the bar exam.”

For Bree Branker Koegel ’24, the moment came during an unexpectedly quiet day at home. “The day before, my 12-month-old daughter had been sent home from daycare with pink eye symptoms,” she explains. “I was in the midst of feeding her an early lunch when I saw my phone light up. My heart immediately began pounding as I picked up my phone – I was fortunate that nobody else was home, and I could properly freak out without any judgment.” Upon seeing “Congratulations,” Koegel squealed with delight, much to her daughter’s amusement.

These individual moments of triumph, though personal, reflect a shared experience among Carolina Law graduates. Behind each story lies a network of support that defines the Carolina Law community. Carpenter felt “overwhelmed by the love, support, and excitement” that embraced her throughout her journey. Koegel echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that passing the bar “was a team effort.”

This sense of community and shared experience binds Carolina Law alumni long after graduation. To celebrate this enduring connection, we invite all Carolina Law alumni to Law Alumni Weekend this November. Share your own bar exam story, hear your classmates’ unexpected tales, and reconnect with the Carolina Law family. Whether you’re a recent graduate or a seasoned practitioner, join us for a blend of nostalgia, networking, and new beginnings.

Register now for Law Alumni Weekend and be part of the next chapter in our shared story!