I am a rising 3L at the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, GA. When I was four years old, my single mother immigrated to the United States from Peru. Growing up as an immigrant in the United States has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life. Witnessing my mother slowly claw herself out of poverty and eventually be able to provide the opportunity for her son to attend law school, an institution where Hispanic/Latino students have been historically underrepresented, has instilled a tremendous sense of debt in me. A sense of debt that arises from the racism, xenophobia, and discrimination I have witnessed hurled at immigrants on a daily basis. A sense of debt that arises from knowing the harsh reality that many immigrant families live paycheck-to-paycheck. A sense of debt that I am slowly repaying by doing everything in my power to help those that come from similar backgrounds as me. I am a native Spanish speaker, passionate about immigration law, and eager to become the first member of my family to successfully pursue higher education. One of the ways in which I have positively impacted my community is through my work at the Emory Immigrant Legal Assistance Clinic. As clinic administrator, I facilitated student volunteers and immigration attorneys providing pro bono legal consultations to the local immigrant community in Atlanta. After earning my JD, I hope to continue my public service and advocacy by assisting communities that have historically been unable to access quality legal representation. Thank you so much for considering my application. It is only through the generosity of scholarships, merit-based or otherwise, that I was able to initially enroll in law school. As donors, your support is crucial in ensuring diverse candidates have access to equal opportunities.

When I was four years old, my single mother immigrated to the United States from Peru. Growing up as an immigrant in the United States has been one of the most challenging experiences of my life. Witnessing my mother slowly claw herself out of poverty has instilled a tremendous sense of debt in me. A sense of debt that arises from the racism, xenophobia, and discrimination I have witnessed hurled at immigrants on a daily basis. A sense of debt that arises from knowing the harsh reality that many immigrant families live paycheck-to-paycheck. A sense of debt that I am slowly repaying by doing everything in my power to help those that come from similar backgrounds as me. After receiving my undergraduate degree, I returned to my home country, Peru. I made amends with family I had not seen in decades, rekindled connections, and mentally prepared myself for my next challenge. It did not take much to decide that law school was the right path for me. Law school, an institution where Hispanic/Latino students have been historically underrepresented, served as a mental ivory tower as I walked through the decrepit streets of Trujillo. As a first generation student, higher education has always represented "making it." Earlier, I described a sense of debt that I feel due to my mother's sacrifices in immigrating to the United States. This sense of debt, I posit, is felt by immigrants all across this nation. The always present burden on our shoulders to appreciate where we came from and to give back to our communities. In law school, I have spearheaded public service advocacy programs such as the Emory Immigrant Legal Assistance Clinic. At clinic, student volunteers coordinate with immigration attorneys to provide pro bono legal consultations for local communities. The ability to make quality legal representation more accessible to underrepresented communities is one of the primary reasons I elected to pursue a career in law. I am eager to continue my public service endeavors and advocacy in my upcoming third year of law school.