As a J.D. candidate at the University of Texas School of Law, I perform pro bono advocacy and legal scholarship, building on my earlier work in student government. Being an advocate means truly listening to the people I serve, and I plan to continue this others-first mindset into my legal practice after law school. Through the Mithoff Pro Bono Program, I serve as a SPEAK Advocate. I work with parents to identify their children’s educational needs and navigate special education processes, such as ARD (Admission, Review, Dismissal) meetings, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans. I help explain their rights, prepare for meetings, and develop practical advocacy plans and documents under the guidance of a supervising attorney. Unfortunately, many school districts are under-resourced in the area of special education, and many parents don't fully understand these complicated processes. Thus, I start by listening to the parents I work with, determining what they do and don't know and what their districts are or are not doing for their children. Listening to parents’ concerns allows me to understand where they are coming from and to help turn complex legal procedures into concrete steps they can take on behalf of their child. I also give back through voter accessibility research for the Texas Civil Rights Project’s Election Protection Coalition. This semester, as we gear up for midterms, I am researching Texas counties to identify polling locations and voting hours, double-checking that the voting information is available on county websites. This work supports efforts to ensure voters can find the information they need to participate in elections, making the process more accessible for Texans. My dedication to truly listening to people also shaped my time as an Arts and Sciences Senator in the Texas Tech Student Government Association. In college, I brought my fellow students' concerns before the student senate and drafted legislation proposing solutions to these issues. I also showed a commitment to accessibility, co-founding the Accessibility Committee with my friend. I independently organized a durable medical equipment (DME) drive in collaboration with Student Health Services, collecting items like crutches and wheelchairs to donate to injured students who had trouble affording their needed equipment. As a staff editor for the Texas Environmental Law Journal, I focus on helping contribute to legal scholarship and prepare myself to be a real legal advocate. I research and verify legal authorities, review citations, and edit articles for clarity and accuracy. Through this work, I develop my writing and analysis to build the foundation for my future legal work. Besides these planned activities, I try to help my community in smaller ways. I pick up trash when I go on walks; I often carry food around with me to distribute to the homeless people in my neighborhood; and I always try to show patience and compassion when I can. You never know what someone may be going through or what path has led them to where they are today. Though I am not yet committed to one specialty to practice in the future, I know I want to advocate for people, particularly children, who may not always feel like their voice is important. I want to carry the habits I am developing now into my career while maintaining a commitment to pro bono service. I will use the law as a way to create lasting change, so children who feel powerless have someone willing to stand beside them and fight for them.

For as long as I can remember, I have listened to and loved Taylor Swift's music. When we felt carefree, my kindergarten friend and I would jump on the bed and belt out "You Belong With Me." When my home life was difficult, I would quietly hum "Change" to remind myself that "these things [in my life] will change." I sang Taylor's breakup songs in the shower (as though I had ever gone through a breakup myself at the age of eight) and memorized every word to her albums. When Taylor’s 1989 album came out, I noticed the change of pace from her original country style, and I loved it. I was at an age where glitter was my favorite accessory, and 1989 dazzled me. I ran around the house singing “Blank Space” and learned a dance to “Shake It Off.” I spent hours watching her music videos and performed mini concerts in my living room. One day when I was ten years old, my dad told me he had a surprise for me, and I could never have expected it would be tickets to see my favorite artist on her 1989 tour. I could hardly believe that my biggest role model, whose music had become the soundtrack to my childhood, would be performing right in front of me! Taylor opened with “Welcome to New York,” and I was hooked. I don’t think I stopped scream-singing during the entire performance with all of the girls around me, except when “All You Had To Do Was Stay” began. I knew that the song was one of those breakup songs I loved to sing in the shower, but during the performance it took on a different meaning. My parents were separated, and I always felt like someone was leaving me, whether it was my dad dropping me off at my mom’s house or one of my mom’s boyfriends breaking up with her and not saying a word to me despite our connection. Listening to “All You Had To Do Was Stay” made me feel deeply understood, like Taylor herself understood the frustration I felt at being left behind. I felt like the ache of being left behind had been transformed into something beautiful. Looking back, I barely remember all of Taylor’s dance moves and costumes. What I remember is the feeling of standing in a stadium full of strangers while somehow feeling less alone than I ever had before, singing and dancing and feeling every word. Her performance made me feel like I was part of something greater than myself. It showed me that her music gave words to emotions I could not explain on my own, and it continues to do so today. Taylor Swift’s 1989 performance, particularly “All You Had To Do Was Stay,” changed me, and it remains the performance that has stayed with me ever since.

Growing up, my life was split not just between two parents and two homes but between entire worlds. My dad loved me, tried to give me stability, and told me I could do anything I put my mind to. But at my mom's house, it was up to me to entertain and take care of myself. I brought books home from preschool to read alone for hours, and I figured out how to get leftovers from the fridge and heat them up. I knew that Dad was calm; Mom was temperamental, so I shouldn't say anything to make her mad. Dad was reasonable; Mom blamed me for all of her problems, so I shouldn't come to her with any of my own. For years, I lived in these two separate worlds. Things got worse in high school, when my dad moved and the pandemic forced me to spend almost all of my time with my mom, who had been laid off. The house became dirtier than before, the money ran out, and my mom was unemployed for several years. I took charge. I vacuumed the house, got the groceries, learned how to properly cook, and paid some bills. At home, leadership meant stepping into responsibilities that no teenager expects. At school, determination meant earning the grades and test scores needed to secure scholarships, knowing my mom couldn't help me pay for college. That determination has shaped every part of my academic journey. I took several Advanced Placement and Dual Credit classes in high school, and I graduated a year early from college. I hold myself to high standards. I am focused on my classes, dedicating many hours to understanding course material and applying my knowledge to exams, papers, and presentations. In my law classes, for example, I adapted to a heightened workload and learned all of the elements that go into reading and understanding cases. My determination has led me to receive a 4.0 each semester. Beyond academics, I have continued to grow as a leader through service. I served as a senator in the Student Government Association, where I formed the accessibility committee and organized a Durable Medical Equipment drive to collect items like crutches and wheelchairs for injured students who may not be able to afford them. I also performed community service each semester. My greatest passion, though, has always been working with children. I have been babysitting for nine years and have spent four summers working at a summer camp. I genuinely enjoy engaging with kids and making sure they feel loved and understood. Whether I am caring for children, capturing moments through photography, or serving my campus community, I enjoy building relationships and finding solutions to the unique challenges people face. I am adaptable; I can adjust to changing schedules and situations. I am resilient; I can channel hurt feelings into determination to keep moving forward. I am self-motivated; I've been doing school projects on my own for 15 years. I am organized from taking care of myself, open-minded from living with multiple families and their perspectives, and compassionate from my lived experiences. These experiences have shaped not only my goals but also the kind of lawyer I hope to become. I want to become a lawyer who has felt unfairness and wants to make things right, who has experienced isolation and wants to truly connect with people. Maybe that means representing children in foster care, advocating for low-income families seeking stable housing, or working in educational policy. No matter what, I want to help people who may not always feel like their voice is important.

I wasn't always interested in pursuing law, but as I entered college, I was drawn to it. It is right up my alley; I am a good communicator, highly observant, and I care deeply about doing things right for others. Taking both undergraduate and real law school classes has made me more sure that this is the field I want to go into. To put it simply, I am interested in how the various legal systems work and how they can help people. One of my favorite activities is working with children, in which my deep care for others shines through. I have been babysitting for nine years and have four summers of experience working at a summer camp. I have a genuine passion for engaging with kids and making sure they feel loved and understood. I feel that a lot of people discount what kids have to say, but the simple and curious way that they look at the world can really inform our perspectives as adults and help us solve real-world problems. In the moment, listening to kids with empathy makes them open up to me, helping resolve conflicts because I have fostered a sense of trust instead of treating them as “lesser” than adults. Later on, consistently listening to them makes them feel important and understood, helping them grow up to be empowered adults. I am interested in carrying my passion for children forward into my work as a lawyer – working in child welfare, educational law, or something similar – but I’m not fully committed to any specialty at this time. However, the soft skills I have honed by taking care of kids will certainly carry over. I want my future clients to feel like I care about them, not just about the money. People dealing with legal problems, particularly ones related to custody battles or even more serious problems, may be more used to anger than kindness. But kindness can build safety and trust with clients, and it even help make dispute resolution more efficient by reducing unnecessary conflict. Seemingly everyone going into the legal field wants to help people, but I would like to help the overlooked people in particular. I am interested in working at a clinic in law school and assisting lower-income individuals with their issues (depending on what my future law school offers). As a Spanish minor, I’m constantly working on my fluency so that I can additionally communicate with Spanish-speakers. Legal terminology is difficult enough to understand in English, let alone trying to understand it with a language barrier. Leading with kindness, patience, and respect will help these individuals feel genuinely supported through their cases. I believe that everyone is worthy of legal help, and I want to be that help for people. I have seen firsthand the effects of kindness in the children I work with, and I wish to extend that to my future clients. I will use my natural strengths in writing and communication, along with my genuine care for others and strong work ethic, to be a strong advocate for people or companies who need assistance.

I wasn't always interested in pursuing law, but as I entered college, I was drawn to it. It is right up my alley; I am a good communicator, highly observant, and I care deeply about doing things right for others. Taking both undergraduate and real law school classes has made me more sure that this is the field I want to go into. To put it simply, I am interested in how the various legal systems work and how they can help people. One of my favorite activities is working with children, in which my deep care for others shines through. I have been babysitting for nine years and have four summers of experience working at a summer camp. I have a genuine passion for engaging with kids and making sure they feel loved and understood. I feel that a lot of people discount what kids have to say, but the simple and curious way that they look at the world can really inform our perspectives as adults and help us solve real-world problems. In the moment, listening to kids with empathy makes them open up to me, helping resolve conflicts because I have fostered a sense of trust instead of treating them as “lesser” than adults. Later on, consistently listening to them makes them feel important and understood, helping them grow up to be empowered adults. I am interested in carrying my passion for children forward into my work as a lawyer – working in child welfare, educational law, or something similar – but I’m not fully committed to any specialty at this time. However, the soft skills I have honed by taking care of kids will certainly carry over. I want my future clients to feel like I care about them, not just about the money. People dealing with legal problems, particularly ones related to custody battles or even more serious problems, may be more used to anger than kindness. But kindness can build safety and trust with clients, and it even help make dispute resolution more efficient by reducing unnecessary conflict. Seemingly everyone going into the legal field wants to help people, but I would like to help the overlooked people in particular. I am interested in working at a clinic in law school and assisting lower-income individuals with their issues (depending on what my future law school offers). As a Spanish minor, I’m constantly working on my fluency so that I can additionally communicate with Spanish-speakers. Legal terminology is difficult enough to understand in English, let alone trying to understand it with a language barrier. Leading with kindness, patience, and respect will help these individuals feel genuinely supported through their cases. I believe that everyone is worthy of legal help, and I want to be that help for people. I have seen firsthand the effects of kindness, listening, and empathy in the children I work with, and I wish to extend that to my future clients. I will use my natural strengths in writing and communication, along with my genuine care for others and strong work ethic, to be a strong advocate for people or companies who need assistance.