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I’m a Hooters girl and law student – my professor told me to quit but I won’t, it’s paying for my books
A HOOTERS girl has brushed off her haters who underestimate her intelligence.
Leah Fennelly is more than a pretty face: She told The U.S. Sun that she has her sights set on dominating in the courtroom, and her job at the restaurant chain is helping her pay for law school.
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Leah has been working at her local Hooters in Orlando, Florida, since December 2016, when she was just shy of 18 and dad urged her to get a job.
But even before she started slinging wings and beer at the chain, she had her eyes set on the law.
“It's always been Plan A to be a lawyer, ever since middle school," she told The U.S. Sun, adding: "I wrote a paper in seventh grade that I will get a law degree."
These days, the 24-year-old's paycheck helps her cover things like school fees and books.
But while skeptics might not believe being a Hooters girl could have anything to do with practicing law, Leah says the job had actually helped her down that path in other ways.
“I think people are shocked when I tell them Hooters did benefit me. I now am able to talk to anyone and everyone because of Hooters," Leah said.
She added that she has made great connections and built up her networking skills because being a Hooters girl helped her develop her outgoing side.
In fact, Leah is a star employee at her Orlando Hooters, having built up a 173,000-follower-strong following while juggling law school.
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The content creator started law school online in August 2020 and will graduate in December this year — but she doesn't plan on quitting once she has her degree.
"I’m sure that I will still work at Hooters after because I have no solid plan until I figure out my next move. It’s fun and I will always work part-time," she added.
She continues to love it despite some rude, dismissive comments from both her law school community and even the occasional customer.
“A law professor pulled me to the side and said: 'Hooters really isn't a real job.'
"And I said: 'Wrong, Hooters is a real job, and I can be a Hooters lawyer,'" she declared.
Many of her fellow law students judged her for working at Hooters, too, but she doesn't let it get to her because "she's having more fun than they are."
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";People who judge, it’s not a reflection of you. It’s a reflection of them. There are people who have been very OK with it and if they don’t support you, they are not your people," she said.
On the flip side, she's had to dispel assumptions that Hooters girls are dumb and uneducated.
“A guy came in and sat down and asked if I even graduated high school and I asked if he even graduated high school," Leah said.
She's not the only smart woman working at the chain: At her Hooters alone, there's a medical student and a bartender with a Master's degree.
"We all have lives outside of Hooters,” she added.
Leah wants to help create a space for a judgment-free zone by sharing both her law aspirations and Hooters girl lifestyle.
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“I think it's important to see that I’m not just a Hooters girl because we're not dumb. You can definitely do both," she said.
"Law was very conservative and I think it important to bring a more modern turn to it and our generation is more open to it,” the brunette said.
Leah also noted that there are several opportunities for advancement in the company — mostly on the corporate side, but also at the annual Miss Hooters International pageant, in which she competed in Lake Tahoe in June.
The selection process consisted of a picture and video submission, and an application, which led her straight to the national competition.
About 50 contestants from around the world settled in the tourist hotspot for a week, where they rehearsed, did photoshoots for social media campaigns, and volunteered.
There were three phases of the pageant, including a Hooters uniform division in which the women were judged on their personality in uniform.
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"You wanted to be really bubbly and give a typical Hooters personality," Leah advised.
Contestants were also judged on their physical fitness, confidence, and stage presence in swimsuits.
Like most pageants, there was also an important one-on-one interview portion with the judges that showed off the personality of the finalists.
“I remember one of the questions because I didn’t give the answer they were looking for," Leah admitted.
The question was: “Why do you think Hooters has continued to be a successful brand?”
She believes the "correct" answer was about the importance of Hooters girls, but she focused on the marketing of the business.
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Her tips for other contestants would be to capitalize on the Hooters girl look and place an extra emphasis on the brand.
The first-place winner received a $30,000 cash prize and the privilege of being for a year while traveling the world for events.
The 2023 Miss Hooters International Pageant will take place in Las Vegas in August.
Leah didn't take home the big prize, but she gained several life lessons.
“It made me feel really great," she praised. "It was once in a lifetime and not everyone can do that. It was definitely awesome to be considered.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Leah may not have won Miss Hooters International, but she has left a lasting impression on the conglomerate.
You can find her face and toned physique in the 2023 Hooters Calendar as a model.
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