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Growing up, Lila’s family always talked politics at the dinner table. “We all had our arguments and our disagreements,” Lila said with a laugh and a wave of her hand, “But at the end of the day, we’re not afraid to express ourselves to one another. We’re ambitious.”

Born to a duo of extremely tech-savvy parents in Powell, Ohio, Lila can’t remember a time when she wasn’t surrounded by great ambition.

“I think my mom dreamed bigger and worked harder than anyone I’ve ever met.” Lila reminisced. “It takes a lot of belief in yourself and your abilities to give birth to a child and an electronics refurbishing company within a few years of each other.” Lila laughed. “But I’m so grateful she did, and that she passed that level of confidence and ambition down to me!”

In addition to the wonderful influence Lila’s mom provided her, she and her two younger brothers were gifted with a father who matched her mom’s dedication. 

“We had a very egalitarian household,” Lila said. “My dad and my mom both worked, they both changed diapers, they both made dinner, and neither of them valued themselves over the other. They knew the other had big ambitions, and they supported each other in chasing them.”

Motivated by her parents, once Lila entered high school, she started to shoot as high as she could, and her ambitions led her to the arts. Whether it was the music classes where she would play the violin, the afternoons she sang in her high school choir, or the nights she spent rehearsing for plays in the theater, Lila kept herself busy at all hours of the day.

“I knew since I was a kid that I wanted to impact the world in some way, but I wasn’t sure what it would be,” Lila said enthusiastically. “I’d always been interested in the ideas of environmental protection and clean energy, but the older I got, the more I knew I wanted to work in that space.”

Much like her previous ambitions, Lila ran towards the goal she’d set for herself and chased it with everything she had. Late nights spent studying for tests, and a good amount of debates on environmental policies with her parents and brothers over their family dinners later, and Lila had achieved acceptance into the Ohio State University for a double major in psychology and criminology with a minor in leadership studies. 

While Lila expressed she immensely enjoyed her college years, she was already looking to the future. Four years later, after her time in university had come to a close, Lila settled into the Ohio State University’s law school: The Moritz College of Law. Thus she began the final stretch in her ultimate ambition, to protect and preserve the environment as an attorney.

“Law school was a challenge for me,” Lila admitted. “I’m very competitive, not with others so much, but definitely with myself in my academics. It was tough to be thrown into a place where everything was so new and high-pressure. That’s why I’m glad I had Eric. ”

A close friend from law school, Lila describes Eric as someone who was never afraid to push her to be better or to do more.

“He was always able to hype me up for an exam, or calm me down when I was freaking out about something,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t doubt that I would have made it through law school without him, but it would have been a lot more stress-inducing and much less fun.”  

With support from her family, Eric, and other friends, Lila graduated from law school and joined the Bricker Graydon family.

“I worked for Bricker Graydon in the summers between law school,” Lila said, “Initially I was drawn to the great environmental and energy practice here, but I realized through those summer positions that I admired everyone and the kindness they showed me,” she emphasized. “My mom always preached to my brothers and me growing up that we should have compassion in everything we do, and to see that, to be a part of it when I go to work every day, it’s incredible.”

These days, when Lila isn’t chasing more ambitions in Bricker Graydon’s energy and environmental teams, you can find her working out with Orangetheory, performing various forms of yoga at a variety of temperatures (hot, cold, room temperature, you name it and she’s probably done it) or engaging in some of the other hobbies, which include but are not limited to performing Pro Bono work, tending to her herb, vegetable, and flower gardens, cooking, skiing, traveling, or spending time with her friends, family, and fiancé.

When asked for advice she would give to those trying to chase the same ambitions she’s been so successful in grasping, Lila is quick to answer.

“Take it from someone who can be a little afraid to not be good at something right away,” Lila said. “Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you start something new. Rely on those experts in your life to help you master whatever you want to master, and with a little hard work thrown in, any ambition you have will fall right into your lap.”