Due to her father’s influence, Wrenna Watson has always had a calling to community service that started at 10 years old. That influence has taken her into leadership positions in the government and in organizations.

Along the way, she worked for nine years as a television producer, production assistant and production coordinator that took up much time as a single mother and part-time law school student.

Achieving her law degree, she now not only represents Allegheny County Controller, Mark Patrick Flaherty, but was a judge of the Pittsburgh Magistrates’ Court.

This January, Watson began teaching Police and Constitutional law at Point Park University as an adjunct professor for the criminal justice department.

“I hope to be a positive influence and to impact students,” Watson, who has taught law in high schools, said.

As an adolescent, she grew up when black power was rising, causing her parents to decide whether she wanted to stay at Schenley High School or transfer to the Ellis School, in Pittsburgh. She stayed at Schenley, and by the 10th grade, she started to express her African-American heritage when she demonstrated black power on what was called First National Black Day.

“It was my way of participating in the black power movement,” Watson, who had two sisters and three brothers said.

That same year, her mother passed away in April, five days after her 16th birthday.

Her father, J. Warren Watson, a judge for Allegheny County Common Pleas, served from 1965 to 2003. She remembers going on the campaign trial with him. He taught her to take care of and be responsible for helping the community. She remembers going into the community and has fond memories of quality time with her father.

“He drove me around the community in Homewood, down Center Avenue and Herron Avenue, causing me to think about society,” Watson said.

Having a judge as her father for 38 years, it was only natural for there to be discussions about the law and the community when they were together. When she visited others, she realized that not everyone was like her family, which caused her to realize that people do not know the legal system and their rights and that she should become a lawyer.