By Adriana Guadana-Huizar, Fellow Class of 2017
College of the Holy Cross
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.
