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I listened as I heard the front door slam followed by the screech of tires on pavement. I grew up in a household where drug abuse and domestic violence were common occurrences. My father was an addict and often took it out on my mother. I hoped that this time, he wouldn't come back. As a young child, I felt hopeless but was determined to find a way out, a way that could bring real change into my life and my mom's life. My dream of becoming a lawyer was routed in my desire to face the injustices that occurred regularly in my home.

Determined to make my dream a reality, in 2015, I graduated from the University of Arizona's pre-law program with honors. After completing a law clerk program, I was hired by a local law firm as a corporate law clerk. I provided support to the legal services team by preparing correspondence, notices and resolutions, maintaining databases, researching case law, and assembling case materials. I reveled in the fact that my contributions were making such a difference, but I felt the journey I could take as a law clerk always ended short. I wanted to stick with the cases to the very end and I longed for the opportunity to present the evidence and arguments I had spent weeks preparing.

After a year at the law firm, my mother's marriage officially fell apart in 2018 and her financial situation spiraled out of control. I was desperate to find a way to help ease her financial burden so I found an online legal software that would enable me to draft a separation agreement that her lawyer could review. At this time, my mother began renting out two rooms in our home to try and recover from financial losses. Both tenants took advantage of her by refusing to pay rent. As the Residential Tenancies Act protects disadvantaged tenants, they remained protected while my mother, as a disadvantaged landlord, was once again at a loss. I felt angry and frustrated that I could not protect my mom from these hardships, but I knew I could advocate on her behalf. With the help of a paralegal, I stayed up all night preparing the documents required for the evictions. I served them in compliance with the requirements of the act and attended the Landlord Tenant Board hearing. I was elated when we won the case which resulted in two successful eviction orders. I felt proud that my contribution, even though small, was able to reduce my mom's expenses. Being a part of the hearing temporarily filled the void I had been feeling as a law clerk, and I knew I had to continue my legal career as a lawyer.

Although my journey was challenging at the beginning, my personal experiences, coupled with my prior legal education, have allowed me to work with lawyers and paralegals to bring about real change to my familial circumstances. With a determination to serve those that are disadvantaged, I am confident that a law degree will allow me to pay it forward; to do the same for others, address the downfalls of our legal system, and best prepare me for a career of impact.

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