Personal Statement

I first became involved in addressing issues of immigration by volunteering in legal clinics in my high school as well as community organizations. Growing up in a community of predominantly migrant Latinos, I have seen firsthand the mistreatment of such a community and how it can immobilize not just the individual but the family as well. Now in Middlebury College I lead JUNTOS, a student-migrant solidarity group, and work with the Center for Community Engagement. Together we are able to create and guide ESL lessons for migrant farmworkers of the Vermont community as well as creating workshops for community members to help with transportation of migrant farm workers to vital appointments. Outside of Vermont, I had the opportunity to lead a group of 10 students in a one week service-learning trip to an immigration center in Texas to prepare asylum seekers for their credible fear interview in hopes of increasing their chances of being approved for status in the US.