Personal Statement

Personal Statement

I walked through the California Institution for Women entrance, feeling a state of determination and anticipation as I was escorted into the classroom. As my 3rd year as a Political Science major at Cal Poly Pomona ended, I was eager to join the Prison Education Project before I began my service as a JusticeCorps member that summer. I knew that I was there to offer my skill set to educate and empower these women as part of the Prison Education Project, but I wondered if I was capable of doing just that. Would the help I offered be helpful to them? If I did not have the information they needed, could I find that for them? Those were just a couple of the thoughts that raced my mind. My partners and I waited in the classroom going over what we would discuss for our presentation that day, “Choosing a College, Choosing a Major, Vocational Education Majors .” It was the first day of the Intro to College course for these women and us. \s”Bzzzz .” The metal door opened, and I could hear the shuffling of feet, some laughing, and the occasional loud outburst as the group of women walked towards our classroom. One by one, they came in and took a seat. There we were, staring at a group of 20 women who were staring back at us, sizing each other up. I cleared my throat and went straight to my introduction, my name, and what we were here to do in the classroom. I finished the brief description with “Are there any expectations you have for this class?”. Hands shot up. I called on the woman right in front of me, as we had just made eye contact. “Yes?” I looked at her to answer. “I’ve taken a couple classes through the community college program that Chafee has; they don’t offer anything to become a vet assistant or animal rescue. Do you know if I can do that when I’m out of here?”. My eyebrows raised in surprise, and I quickly removed that expression on my face. “Actually, yes, a lot of schools offer programs to become veterinary assistants. We can go over thoughts when we start the lecture”. We answered other questions, and all of them asked about the next steps they would need to work on after they were released. I let go of any preconceived notions and moved forward with the class as if it were a presentation for any of my Political Science Club members. These women were inspiring. They had big aspirations and wanted to make their class time as productive as possible, so they had all the tools for when they finished their time at the California Institution for Women. I had such a great time that when the Correctional Officer came in to escort them to the next class, I had not realized that the 90 minutes were over. I found myself looking forward to the next time I would see them, and that’s how I felt every Friday for the next three months. Listening to these women talk about their highs and lows that week, the people waiting for them back home, or what they wanted to accomplish after they were released touched my heart in such a way that I always thought about how I could work in an environment like this or bring help to people in these similar circumstances.

When you answer someone majoring in Political Science, nine times out of 10, the next question is, “Are you going to be a lawyer?” I was never sure about my answer. I wanted to help my local community and represent my Hispanic community. I found myself in the California Institution for Women because I wanted to learn from these individuals and learn what was working in the system and what was broken. This experience was unlike anything I learned in the classroom or encountered in my day-to-day life. Hearing these women discuss their experience with the legal system throughout my time in the program motivated me to represent the undermined demographic and fight for their legal rights. This experience validated what I have always believed, that human beings who end up in the criminal justice system are still exactly that—human beings. Talking to these women and building relationships with them urged me to pursue a career in criminal law. I wanted to be that person that represented them during the trial period. Their civil liberties were still upheld through their sentencing, incarceration, and rehabilitation. These individuals had every right to have their privileges protected.

When I received my acceptance for Cal Poly Pomona, I knew I was doing this to make myself proud, but most of all, make my parents proud. They immigrated here and had the same hope that all undocumented parents have when raising a family, to live the “American Dream .” Prospering can only be accomplished through hard work and education in our culture; as my family says, the results of your hard work, or the “fruits of your labor,” are meant to be shared with your family and everyone that helped you get to where you are. This was engraved in me from a young age and molded my principles. I believe life is meant to be lived through helping others. I knew that no matter what I studied, I would find a way to impact people’s lives.

I started my last year of undergrad as a Justicorps Student Member. Knowing that I would gain valuable experience in a courthouse, I obtained this opportunity. I was assigned to the Pomona Superior Court House. I learned to fill out forms like dissolutions, custody and visitation, unlawful detainer, request for order, domestic violence, and judgments. It was interesting to see firsthand the inner workings of family law, but more importantly, a courthouse. Working with the litigants and educating them on the legal information showcased how important it was to do this work. Speaking to the litigants in Spanish was also a great experience. The relief they would have when I translated the law jargon is something I will never forget. After my experience with the Prison Education Project and Justicorps, I hungered to work in law that followed my principles; helping people. Specifically, helping people who had their freedom at risk. Just like with the women I spent time with during my time at the Prison Education Project, I saw the same emotion in the eyes of the litigants as they spoke to me, grateful that someone they encountered listened to them.

Though I knew my experience at the Pomona Courthouse would end, the way the litigants looked at me as if I could directly provide legal aid was powerful. I wanted to be the person that could say, “Yes, I’ll represent you .” To say that to someone one day is what drives me to apply to Southwestern Law School.

I look forward to staying up long nights and working harder than I ever have in my life to learn the skills that I need to become an attorney for my future clients.