Adriana Guadana-Huizar Blog

Family Within Law School Yes We Can
June 1, 2020

December is undoubtedly one of my favorite months: the fall semester concludes and I get to return to my home from Massachusetts, Christmas allows for the entire family to come together, and the start of a fresh, new year is around the corner. The cherry on top of it all is that I have the opportunity to reunite and see the Law School Yes We Can family. Thanks to Judge Arguello, the Law School Yes We Can team, and partners, the Holiday Fiesta has become an annual tradition where mentors, mentees, and supporters of the organization can reconvene and celebrate one another’s accomplishments and another year.  

The last Holiday Fiesta was special - I had just arrived from my Washington, D.C. semester and I was embraced by my mentors, friends in the program, and other Law School Yes We Can supporters. My only other time in D.C. happened in high school, and had been a challenging one - I came to understand very quickly that I was in spaces that weren’t created for people like me. I was belittled by individuals who came from families of high social classes. The microaggressions were not only hurtful, but ultimately created a wall of separation. Instead of my character and values shining, my social identity concealed everything. I was terrified of going to D.C. once again, yet I had the support of people I consider pillars in my life who reminded me of my self-worth and diverted my feelings to be tenacious fuel. 

Carolina Luna, a friend, former classmate and teammate on the Mock Trial Team at Arrupe Jesuit High School gave heartfelt remarks about what Law School Yes We Can has meant to her. I was so proud of Caro’s accomplishments, especially having witnessed a part of her journey at Arrupe. I related to her experiences on a personal level especially as a first-generation, Latina student at a higher ed institution out of state and at the hub of the nation’s politics. She talked about how her mentors had supported her and had been there for her regardless of the circumstances and I was reminded of the numerous check-ins that I have had with my entire mentor team.  

The Fiesta’s guest speaker was Ms. Miko A. Brown. I remember being amazed at her numerous accolades and extensive accomplishments and very clearly remember her talking about the unequivocal obstacles that would be placed in our paths. She told us that falling was not what mattered, however, it was about the steps we took to pick ourselves up and what we learned from the process. When I encounter obstacles as I did in D.C., I remind myself of Ms. Brown’s words and realize how blessed I am to be in Law School Yes We Can’s community. This family is one for which I will be eternally grateful and I cannot wait to see it grow in the years to come.  

The Value of Education
July 2, 2019

I distinctly remember walking to the building where my Washington, D.C. semester interview would be taking place, anxiety and stress slowly making their way to the bottom of my stomach. Mindfully, I had given myself some time to drink water and review the main points I wanted to convey to my interviewers. As I sat down to review, self-doubt started to join my feelings of anxiety and stress. “This year Holy Cross had the highest number of applicants to D.C. … will I even make it?” “Are my grades and application what they are looking for?” As I began taking deep breaths, I got a notification: incoming FaceTime call from “mami”. “Just what I need- mami’s intuition is up to something,” I thought, “I haven’t told her I applied for the program for fear that I might not get accepted, and here she is, about to discover me”. I accepted the call and she immediately asked why I was dressed up. I told her that I was about to interview for the Washington D.C. program, her eyes welled up and she gave me a huge smile. She encouraged me to go to my interview, confident in my abilities and unique traits. We wrapped up our call and I headed towards the interview room. I reminded myself of the communities of support I have built at Holy Cross and back in Colorado, particularly the LAW SCHOOL … Sí Se Puede team. My team of mentors have encouraged and supported me throughout my college career and as I start thinking about law school. The support system and words of advice they provide have been incredible benefits of being a fellow. Even though they are not physically with me, remembering their encouragement gave me the confidence I needed. 

My parents instilled in me the value of education and how it is a tool that nobody can strip away. The team of mentors I have echo these values which I, and my parents, appreciate very much. Today, I am proud to say that I am a first-generation college student, two years away from arriving at Senior Convocation, and a student that will be participating in the Washington, D.C. semester program, taking a course in public policy and gaining internship experience in the immigration policy field. I will carry the tools and skills that I gain from these experiences into my ultimate career dream, which is to become an immigration attorney. I am confident that, with my team of LSSSP mentors, I will be provided with guidance - particularly in sharing their journey through college and law school, support - as the law school admission process is long, but also in empowerment, the greatest gift of all. 

“Sí, Se Puede” is a phrase born of farmworkers, who, under the leadership of the UFW, César Chávez, and Dolores Huerta, fought valiantly for equal protection under the law. As a result of the efforts of the UFW, “Sí, Se Puede” has become well known as a call that engenders hope and inspiration in those who face similar battles. We thank the UFW, whom we acknowledge to be the sole and exclusive owner of the Trademark SI SE PUEDE, for granting us a limited license to use“Sí, Se Puede” in connection with our efforts to recruit, in Colorado, students of Hispanic or Latino descent for our law school pipeline program. For more information about the programs offered by the UFW, please see UFW’s webpage (www.ufw.org); UFW Foundation’s webpage (www.ufwfoundation.org); and UFWF’s immigration services webpage (www.sisepuede.org)