In 2002, the CareNet Banquet was hosted by children. Local children prayed, performed, and spoke. Dani Westerman was the keynote speaker. She was 15 years old and a sophomore at Dickson County High School at the time. Her speech, passionately delivered, reminded everyone in attendance of the importance of pregnancy centers in our community and world. A few things have changed since then…
Dani is a 3L (third-year law student) at the University of Tennessee College of Law. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in Criminal Law as a Prosecutor. She has clerked for the Tennessee Attorney General’s office in the Criminal Justice Division, the District Attorney General’s office for Tennessee’s 6th (Knox County) and 23rd (Dickson, Cheatham, Houston, Humphreys and Stewart Counties) Judicial Districts. She has assisted in several trials including trials for 1st degree premeditated murder and felony murder through child abuse.
Dani serves as an Articles Editor for the Tennessee Law Review and competes as part of the College of Law’s team for the Texas Young Lawyer’s Association National Trial competition. She is the lead representative at the University of Tennessee for Barbri Bar Review. Dani serves on the College of Law’s Academic Standards Committee and Moot Court Board. She has done pro bono work with both the College of Law’s Saturday Bar and Homeless Project.
Dani is a 2009 graduate MiddleTennessee State University and the University Honors College. Her Honors thesis, Judicial Standing: The Next Frontier of Establishing Victims’ Rights, examined the effectiveness of existing protections for a victim’s legal standing and compared the rights of victims with those of the criminally accused.
Westerman is not Dani’s last name anymore. On June 12, 2010, Dani and Spencer D. Bryson of Birmingham, Alabama, were married at her family’s farm in Sylvia. Spencer teaches 5th grade at South Clinton Elementary School. They met at Third Baptist Church in Murfreesboro,Tennessee, while Dani was attending MTSU and Spencer was teaching in Smyrna. They currently live in Knoxville, where Dani is happy as a Vol Fan, and Spencer causes “Tide”-al waves as he roots for Bama. They are members of First Baptist Church Powell.
Some things have not changed. Dani still loves reading, singing, and horseback riding when she finds time. She is impressively addicted to chocolate and thinks brownies are an acceptable breakfast food. Insatiably curious, she has never met a stranger and loves learning about everything. She welcomes the opportunity to share her heart with you again.
