July 31, 2019

Something Unimaginable

July 31, 2019/ LAW SCHOOL … Sí Se Puede

By Katya Martinez Ibarra, Fellow Class of 2016
University of Colorado at Boulder

Ever since I was a little girl, my parents always told me that I could become whatever I wanted. They always encouraged me to get good grades and do the best I could when it came to school. Because of that, I made it my goal to go to college. Whenever I think about graduating college, I never think about myself, I think about my parents and my brothers’ future. I think about how I will be able to provide for them, and how my brothers won’t have to struggle through college because I will be there.

My first day at CU Boulder came, I was anxious and nervous. I couldn’t believe that I had finally made it, the first in my family to attend college. As I went on through my day, everything was new. No one looked like me. Having a workload and knowing how much this meant to me made me develop anxiety.

This is where Law School Yes We Can! Came into mind. I reached out to one of my mentors Kyriaki. I told her how my anxiety was taking over. Kyriaki and I met, she sat down and helped me organize myself, she even helped me develop a study schedule for all my classes. Because of her immense support, I was ahead of the game. I exceeded the projected GPA that the Leeds School of Business estimated.

My first semester of college went beyond what I expected. I reached a potential that I thought I never would have. Because of Law School Yes We Can, I found immense support from my mentors, Antonio Gallegos, Kyriaki Council, Nicholas Trevino and Violeta Chapin. I am grateful to have people that are willing to support me throughout my college years, not only educationally but emotionally as well.

“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)