Ms. Bolender is a graduate of the Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law at Barry University. While in law school, she was accepted into a prestigious externship with the Attorney General's Office in the Department of Statewide Prosecution. Following that, she dedicated a year to representing juveniles at Barry University's Children and Families Clinic, where she helped indigent youths through the dependency and delinquency processes, as well as participating in the appeals process with the 5th District Court of Appeals.

Ms. Bolender has a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.