Karina Gonzalez Blog

Shaping Success
June 1, 2020

Law School Yes We Can (LSYWC) is a program unlike any other. The program’s mentorship, resources, and opportunities have given fellows a one-of-a-kind experience. As I finish my third year at Colorado State University, I now face LSAT prep-courses, the LSAT exam, law school applications, and graduation. All I have done leading up to this moment will greatly influence my acceptance into law schools. LSYWC has prepared me physically, mentally, and emotionally for the transition to law school.   

The mentors I have been paired with through this program are my role models and biggest support system. I have the utmost respect, admiration, and love for my mentors. My two law school mentors give me a realistic look into the ins and outs of being in an area of study that has few people of color. By surpassing obstacles other students do not encounter, I find the courage to pursue a career that desperately needs diversity. My junior level attorney inspires me by noting how important studies are, but goes beyond any individual I know to enjoy the presence of nature and adventures. I hope to mirror her ability to balance her passion for the law while simultaneously enjoying all that the world has to offer. Identically, my senior level attorney is genuine and wholeheartedly devoted to equality and giving back. As a judge, she embodies my ultimate career goal and I strive to be like her one day.  

The time I have spent at LSYWC events, workshops, and monthly lunch meetings has significantly impacted the way I look at my academics, personal life, and society. Building my skills and a strong social network has prepared me physically and mentally while my mentors have nurtured me emotionally. Prior to this program, I lacked confidence and direction. Now, with the help of my mentors, I have grown to see the potential I have always had. I know what I want from life, and LSYWC helped me see that more clearly. I am grateful for all LSYWC has done for me, and I hope LSYWC fellows continue to create a legacy.  

My Ancestors’ Successor
July 2, 2019

My grandfather was a field worker in California who worked tirelessly with little pay to provide for his family of fourteen with hope that one day his children would be given the opportunity to obtain a higher education. My immigrant parents, amongst my ancestors, have endured exploitation of cheap labor and inequality for years on end. I have made it a personal goal of mine to be my ancestors’ successor by becoming an attorney to correct overdue injustices.

When I first heard of Law School Yes We Can (LSYWC) I immediately applied. This program gave me four amazing mentors ranging from law students to a judicial law clerk, and a Colorado Supreme Court Justice. There are a lack of words that can fully describe my appreciation for them. The wisdom, backgrounds, charisma, determination, and passion that each individual brings to the table is phenomenal. I am given the opportunity to meet with my mentors for lunch once a month and am able to speak with them all for hours on end. I have never felt more inspired and accepted in the time spent with them than I have in my entire educational career. Fostering and growing my friendship with this team has and always will provide the best support system I have to guide me throughout life.

In particular, my mentors go out of their way to reassure me in times of struggle. My second year, fall semester, was really difficult for me. At home, my father was recovering from a severe car accident that caused him to be out of work for several months. My older brother got charged with serious offenses, and my mother owned a large sum of debt. I struggled trying to balance my personal life and my academics. Unfortunately, school wasn’t any better than home.

Majoring in Ethnic Studies with minors in Political Science and Interdisciplinary Law at Colorado State University is challenging. It is incredibly eye-opening taking Ethnic Studies courses because students are taught about the real history not just the master narrative society wants you to believe. It is great but emotionally draining at the same time because students are exposed to generational traumas. In my Political Science courses, I was one of two minorities in the entire lecture hall. I felt as though I had nothing to contribute and felt out of place because I had no prior experiences with politics unlike my classmates. Receiving a finals week care package from my mentors after doing two all-nighters brought tears to my eyes. Freshman year, I remember looking down my hall and seeing everyone receive a care package from their families, and I knew I would not get one because my parents never heard of them. As I read my mentors personalized letter, I found the strength to finish the semester strong. The lunches throughout the semester gave me the opportunity to see that my end goal was going to be worth all the current stress.

In conclusion, there is no doubt in my mind that if it were not for this program, more specifically my mentors, I would have lost sight of my dreams and fell into a world of self-pity and pain. I am thankful for everything I have been given, and I will continue to work hard towards my college degree and ultimately my law degree. I am proud to be a fellow of Law School Yes We Can (LSYWC) and cannot wait to become my ancestors’ successor.

“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)