Hello John,
I am thrilled to introduce the new cohort of Pre-Law Fund recipients for 2024! These ten undocumented individuals will receive financial assistance, technical support for their law school applications, and access to Immigrants Rising’s network of legal professionals to prepare them for the next steps in their journey to law school.
Read more about our ten aspiring attorneys below.
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Growing up in a low-income environment riddled with violence in San Jose, CA, Alan (he/him) was inspired to empower young individuals in similar circumstances. While at UCLA, he co-founded SOS Initiative, an organization serving the low-income residents of South Central LA.
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Fatima (she/her) is from Guadalajara, Mexico. Raised in a low-income family, Fatima experienced the injustices of being undocumented early on. She graduated from UC Merced, where she supported her fellow undocumented students and realized her passion for immigration law.
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Hassanatou (she/her) is from Guinea and is a first-generation college graduate. Her experience with supporting undocumented individuals and advocating for immigrant rights inspired her to pursue a law degree. She hopes to give back to the community that helped her in her journey.
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Iris (she/her) was born in Chiapas, Mexico, and moved to Arkansas to reunite with her mother. After her DACA was denied in 2016, she understood the barriers of being undocumented in the South, leading to her passion for immigrant rights advocacy through policy and representation.
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Julie Anne (she/her) is a proud Filipina immigrant and New Yorker. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from F&M in 2020 as a TheDream.US and Posse Scholar and is currently working as a senior investigative analyst for a city agency in New York.
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Karen (she/her) is a senior pursuing a bachelor’s degree in government and is eager to become an immigration attorney. She is a 2022 UCLA Dream Summer Fellow, TheDream.US scholar, a UCLA DRC Alumni Council member, and an advocate for state-level policies in Arizona with Aliento.
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Lorena (she/her) was born in Guerrero, Mexico, and immigrated to the U.S. at five. Her undocumented experience led her to be involved with diverse groups in her community. She believes in collective advocacy to open up more opportunities for immigrant women in immigration law.
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Renzo (he/him) is from La Paz, Bolivia, and grew up in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. As an undocumented Latino, sexual assault survivor, and gay man, Renzo always knew he wanted to go to law school and be an advocate and a resource for victims of inequalities in the justice system.
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Rosa (she/her/ella) is from Oaxaca, Mexico. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz and became a partial DOJ Accredited Representative. Rosa is now a paralegal at the Santa Cruz County Office of the Public Defender and is eager to learn about the criminal law system.
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Susan (she/her) was born in Mexico and now navigates life as a DACA recipient. After attending UC Berkeley, Susan helped provide universal representation for detained adults in Maryland, furthering her passion for immigration policy, racial justice, and criminal justice reform.
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We are excited to follow their journeys as they strive to transform their communities through a career in law.
We are only able to do this work because of the generous support from our community members. Help us ensure that undocumented individuals continue to have access to programs such as the Pre-Law Fund! Click here to donate.
In community,
Jesús Flores
Legal Services Programming Lead
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Thank You!
This year’s Pre-Law Fund is made possible because of the generous financial support of these incredible donors: Beleza Chan, The Arturo & Rosa González Family Giving Fund, Johanna Hartwig & Stefano DeZerega, The Larry L. Hillblom Foundation, Nakada Hoang Donor Advised Fund, Elizabeth J. Kramer Charitable Fund, Jeannie & Christopher Rhee, Margaret W. Wong & Associates LLC, Wendy Wylegala, Steve Yale-Loehr.
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