<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Real Life Alyssa]]></title><description><![CDATA[TheLateBloomer]]></description><link>https://www.the-latebloomer.com/my-blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2026 23:59:51 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.the-latebloomer.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[My Unconventional Path to Becoming a Lawyer]]></title><description><![CDATA[Today, June 30, 2026, I was admitted to the Oregon State Bar. Reading that email made me stop and reflect on the entire journey to get here. Because it did not look anything like I thought it would when I first said I wanted to be a lawyer at twelve years old. When I actually started this journey, it meant taking the LSAT. Which made me nervous, because I have always been a poor test taker. Not a poor student. A poor test taker. There’s a difference. I was student body president my senior...]]></description><link>https://www.the-latebloomer.com/post/my-unconventional-path-to-becoming-a-lawyer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a4444bf3c06bdad542a7423</guid><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 22:38:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_679a1930d98241e2a7d4bc908428b7ce~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alyssa Van Leuven</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The SPPE: What It Is and Why I Almost Said No.]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you’re a law student in Oregon, you’ve probably heard whispers about the SPPE. Or maybe you haven’t heard a thing, and honestly, that wouldn’t surprise me either. That’s part of the problem. The Supervised Practice Portfolio Examination (SPPE) is one of the newest pathways to attorney licensure in Oregon. People have already completed it. They’re out there practicing law right now, fully licensed. And yet most law students, and even a lot of practicing attorneys, have no idea what it is. I...]]></description><link>https://www.the-latebloomer.com/post/the-sppe-what-it-is-and-why-i-almost-said-no</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a3da51640b34fdeb1f06848</guid><category><![CDATA[The SPPE Series]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:44:46 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/54b9d1_cbb657ebd3dc428da82fbf2bd726c200~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alyssa Van Leuven</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Welcome to The Late Bloomer!]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hey there, I'm Alyssa. A few things about me that don't fit neatly into a blog post: I'm a wife. I was saved by Jesus Christ four years ago. I'm a licensed attorney in Oregon who somehow also became a storyteller, which I didn't expect. And I love to host. Give me a reason, a table, and people I love, and I will find a way to turn a random Tuesday into an occasion. I think that's actually the heart of why I started this blog. Hosting is just storytelling with food instead of words, you're...]]></description><link>https://www.the-latebloomer.com/post/welcome-to-the-late-bloomer</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a3dcab3faba6cee57d9cc54</guid><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:44:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/54b9d1_77366fa427264e26b66b7c700ab1bfc4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Alyssa Van Leuven</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>