RIVER MOUNTAIN IMMIGRATION - Key Persons
I moved from Costa Rica to Missoula, Montana in 2006 where I have been a student ever since. I first got to study Spanish at the Missoula International School and then went on to study at Hellgate High School where I graduated with a full International Baccalaureate diploma and honors as a member of the National Honors Society and German National Honors Society. Go Knights!
I just completed my undergraduate in Political Science and Spanish at the University of Montana and Davidson Honors College as a pre-law student. I additionally earned a certificate in Migration Studies. I am interested in helping others particularly in the realm of immigration with my Spanish language skills. I absolutely love engaging with people from a diverse array of communities and often do so through the International Rescue Committee which works to resettle refugees in the Missoula community as well as ONE which works to combat extreme poverty and preventable disease globally. Through ONE I have met with Montana representatives on multiple occasions in order to engage them on international issues and encourage them to support countries and communities in need. I have also served as one of their representatives at the 2020 Youth United Nations conference in which students from around the world discussed issues pertaining to gender, the environment, and immigration. I work on campus as president of the UM ONE Chapter and Pi Sigma Alpha which is the only national Political Science Honors Society.
In my free time, I love being in the outdoors be it backpacking, biking, or swimming. I also love traveling, I have been to 16 countries! I am an avid reader, especially action adventure! Additionally I recently created my own photography business where I get to engage my more artistic side!
I moved to Missoula four years ago, from Dillon, MT, when I started my undergraduate degree at the University of Montana. I am currently working on a Pre-Law focused B.A. in Sociology, with an Inequality and Social Justice concentration, a B.M. in Piano Performance and a Political Science minor. I've done research on mental illness and accessibility, the stigma around miscarriages and underrepresentation in the music world. I am also a member of the Davidson Honors College, UM student government and Global Leadership Initiative. I was elected Student Music Union President, which allows me to work with 16 groups across campus and over 500 students. My senior capstone community based writing project is focused on the citizenship process for refugees and the refugee experience after arrival in the United States.
I am originally from Aurora, Illinois having moved here to Missoula three years ago to attend the University of Montana. I am completing my undergraduate education with a BA in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and Comparative Government with minors in International Development Studies and Psychology. I am part of the Davidson Honors College and Franke Global Leadership Initiative. Beyond my education, I have been an intern at CASA of Missoula and an International Research Intern through the Mansfield Center. I am currently in Washington D.C. interning in a Senator's office. In the Fall, I will begin pursuing a Masters in Public Administration and Public Health.
I was born and grew up in Great Falls, Montana I am currently attending school in Missoula at the University of Montana double majoring in Philosophy and Political Science on a pre-law track. I am also working on a certificate in Public Policy. I serve as a Senator with the Associated Students of the University of Montana and am an active member of the Davidson Honors College. One of my favorite experiences so far has been being a Learning Assistant for the Honors College, where I got to lead a group of freshmen through their first semester at the University. Upon graduation, I'm hoping to attend law school. I'm passionate and excited to create a career centered around change and advocacy of various kinds. Outside of school, I love spending time with my family, friends, and dogs. During election cycles, I find myself busy volunteering with campaigns. Otherwise, I enjoy anything outdoors and staying active through CrossFit. I am also an expert in ice cream.
I was born and raised in Missoula, and am thrilled to have returned home with my family, and to have the opportunity to advocate for immigrants here in Montana and beyond.
Before joining River Mountain Immigration, I worked as a senior attorney for Legal Services for Children (LSC), a San Francisco-based non-profit. As director of LSC's pro bono project, I expanded the organization's capacity to provide holistic services by recruiting, training, and mentoring private sector attorneys for immigration, guardianship, and school discipline cases. I personally specialized in representing youth seeking asylum, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, U visas, DACA, and other forms of relief within the federal immigration system. The majority of my clients were unaccompanied minors - children who come to the U.S. without a parent or guardian, often fleeing violence and instability in their countries of origin. A primary goal of mine continues to be to provide services in a way that is trauma-informed and healing-centered.
Before beginning my legal career, I studied history and education at the University of California, Berkeley. I then spent several years working as a teacher and program coordinator in Thailand, Argentina, and Nicaragua. I later returned to the Bay Area for law school at the University of San Francisco, where I focused on civil rights and human rights law. My clinical experience included representing youth in the juvenile justice system, doing (anti-)death penalty work in Mississippi, working on LGBTQ asylum cases, and lobbying at the United Nations on issues related to migrant detention. After graduation, I worked for the international non-profit Asylum Access in Quito, Ecuador, where I represented refugees in a variety of legal proceedings. I have also worked as a public defender, handling misdemeanor jury trials, and for a small firm practicing plaintiff's-side employment law.
In my free time, I love traveling and going on outdoor adventures with my husband and two kids. I'm also embracing the humbling experience of rekindling my childhood passions for soccer, dance and playing the piano.