Jace Horvath first learned English by watching American television shows. Now he is going to be a U.S. Air Force attorney.
Born in Hungary in the early 1990s, Horvath was raised by a single mother. He wanted to learn English, but there was only minimal training available in school.
“I spoke Hungarian growing up, and I wanted to learn more English,” Horvath said. “I relied on mainly American television shows to learn English and to really just get a grasp of the language and then learn the grammar side a bit at school.”
His television time inspired his career choice.
“I watched some ‘Law and Order,’ which introduced me to the American legal system, and I watched a lot of ‘Friends,’” he said. “It started out with the Disney Channel, which was in English on television, so I watched whatever was on there. I don’t honestly remember because I tried to pay attention to just learn the words.”
The influence of “Law and Order” aside, Horvath was also fascinated with the American legal system while a Hungarian high school student.
Graduating from Law School is the culmination of conversations Jace Horvath had with friends in high school. (Photo by Lathan Goumas, University Communications)
“My friends and I talked about the American legal system, how different it was, with juries, and how the law seemed to be,” he said. “It’s not as much set in stone in America. You can actually explore it more in-depth. And the Constitution itself. When I read it for the first time in English, a long time ago, I just found it fascinating. I thought, ‘There’s something there.’”
He graduated from high school at 19, but had little interest in going to college. A member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he went to England on a two-year volunteer mission and then stayed another year to work. During that time, he discovered online learning through the Pathway Program at Brigham Young University-Idaho. Once he completed the online program, he came to the United States and enrolled at BYU-Idaho to study, graduating with a degree in finance after cycling through four other potential majors.
At BYU, he also tried out for a comedy improv group. The group’s manager heard his accent and thought it might “bring in the ladies,” he recalled. He ended up marrying the manager.
Horvath and his new wife moved to Florida, where he completed his studies online, and after graduating he worked for a consulting firm. But the law still called to him.
While at BYU, Horvath explored ROTC, but he was not yet a citizen. Later, he thought the Air Force was the most family-friendly to his situation, and that Air Force ROTC and law school would be a good fit. He selected UVA Law because of the proximity of the Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School and family considerations. The Air Force offers the One-Year College Program, a one-year ROTC program for law students. Once selected for the program, students are guaranteed a position as an Air Force judge advocate upon successful completion of the Air Force ROTC program.
Col. Jason Bell, commander of the Air Force ROTC detachment, said Horvath was a nontraditional cadet.
“A husband, father and graduate law student, he represents a unique blend of academic achievement and life experience that adds depth and perspective to our cadet wing,” Bell said. “Enrolled in a one-year graduate law program, Cadet Horvath joined AFROTC with a clear sense of purpose and a drive to serve.”
Bell said while Horvath is about a decade older than the other cadets, he blends in well.
“Horvath has integrated seamlessly into the unit,” Bell said. “From day one, he immersed himself in the program, grasping military concepts quickly and demonstrating a genuine commitment to learning the profession of arms. His inquisitive nature and thoughtful engagement have made him a standout among his peers.”
“Other law schools seem to be in either larger cities or places that may not have been as nice for our family,” he said. “Because we had two little girls, my wife would say that we chose this school because of Charlottesville. We felt this was a great place.”
