$10k Scholarship Finalist

As a low-income, middle school-educated immigrant and single mom, my mother struggled financially to raise my older sister and me. From the age of 12, I took on the added responsibility of helping my mother clean homes, clinics, and vacant apartments in the distant affluent neighborhoods of San Diego County. Affording college without financial support from my family became my finish line, and the military was the best vehicle I saw to get me there. This upcoming fall, I will attend Harvard Law School.

My confidence in applying to selective law schools is fueled by a passion for becoming a leader and helping uplift multiple minority communities. My entire life up to joining the Marine Corps has been living, growing, playing, and studying with underprivileged youth. Like myself, they came from impoverished backgrounds, and many felt college was out of reach. I connected and related to their family, goals, and aspirations, as well as their obstacles and hardships. Upon earning my law degree, I will motivate the next generation of potential college students to achieve their goals.

Since my neighborhood is considered one of the most underprivileged immigrant communities in San Diego, I will offer pro bono work once having established myself as a lawyer. Becoming a lawyer is my destiny to help end the generational poverty in my family while carrying the power to help people from similar destitute backgrounds. After enough on-the-job training to feel confident in my abilities, I will open a law firm focusing on civil rights and immigration law in California, where I grew up. I demonstrate my commitment to serving others through my continuous participation in pro-bono work with veterans, students, and immigrants throughout college and corporate America. I plan to strengthen my commitment to service after becoming a lawyer.

I want to provide legal assistance to immigrants so they can gain legal status. Narrowing the scope, I desire to assist deported veterans to return to the country they served and get them the care and support they’ve earned. Also, I want to work at a leading litigation firm, representing clients with various civil and constitutional rights claims. My work will focus on defending first amendment rights because I recognize the importance of free speech. As a student at the University of Pennsylvania, I was in a student club called the Penn Political Union. During my junior year, I debated the former governor of Florida, Jeb Bush, and remained committed to freely exchanging ideas.

Being selected to receive the scholarship would allow me to reduce law school debt and lessen the impact of the remarkably high-interest rates. Additionally, receiving the scholarship eases the financial stress of paying for my move to Boston from Dallas to attend Harvard Law School. The scholarship will also positively impact my ability to work in New York City, Washington D.C., or other prominent legal markets where the cost of living is significantly high for my 1L summer.

My career goals are grounded in impact. I want to make a positive impact on a local, national, and global scale.

I chose Harvard Law School because of its robust network, and the doors it opens in the legal field.

I want to thank my mother, Deborah Marconda, for helping me navigate undergraduate admissions when I was a Sergeant in the Marine Corps, and Daniel Savage for being a mentor these last few years. I can go on and on about the immense impact that other great individuals have made along my journey to law school, and for them, I am extremely grateful.

I am extremely passionate about entering the legal profession, and this scholarship would catalyze achieving my academic and career goals. My dedication to service, academic and professional achievements, and financial need make me a deserving candidate for this scholarship. Lastly, receiving the scholarship would embody a sense of empowerment that I’m heading in the right direction.