I never saw myself pursuing any kind of career growing up. Raised by undocumented parents who struggled to support us, particularly after my father was incarcerated, I couldn't understand another "career" or life path beside the one modeled to me. 

Once I had graduated high school, I still had no idea what college was, and feared repeating generational curses, so I fled a broken home and relentlessly poured myself into my education desperate to find something more. With a fervent desire for a better life, I attended community college, and transferred to UCLA - becoming the first in my family to graduate college. 

While college had helped to reaffirm my desire to work in law after my initial experiences with the court system, exiting UCLA I still lacked a fundamental understanding of what was required of me to attend law school and succeed in the real world. Quickly I learned that being fiercely independent had thus far led me to success on paper, but in reality I was alone, struggling with housing insecurity, and unsure how I would manage to do anything but dream about becoming an attorney. 

Without the slightest exaggeration, LEAP changed my life. I found community, inspiration, and so many resources that would have not been attainable for me otherwise. Cindy, Zach, Rosie, Johanna, Alexis, Stephanie, Cesia, and all my other fellows have provided and pushed me to apply myself in a multitude of ways. I am attending UC Berkeley this fall and have wonderful programs like SEO Law to look forward to now because of them - because of LEAP.

Please donate - there are so many more people who need this kind of help and community. Your donation actually is going to mean something here.