Sharing My Journey

-Returning To School -

From a young age, I dreamed of becoming a successful fashion designer to support young women in assuming leadership roles, but it was disregarded when I shared my vision. History has continually shown me the struggles women endure to overcome the expectations of traditional gender roles. Courageous, confident, and successful women inspired me; however, I saw them regularly dressed in androgynous suiting rather than embracing and celebrating their femininity. I intended to change the way women are perceived by empowering them through my clothing designs and inspiring future generations. Although I pursued fashion design for the past decade, I realized that I would ultimately need to return to university full-time to achieve my goals.

The journey that led me to this realization started after I launched my own fashion company. I was disappointed by its unsuccessful outcome; however, I recognized that I needed to learn more about the business of fashion to head my company successfully. Thus, to gain more experience, I began working for Modcloth, a fashion company that happily aligned with my goals and values of female leadership. I also appreciated Modcloth’s focus on ethics by working with factories following international labor standards, fostering a positive work environment, and hosting service days to give back to the community. It inspired me to continue learning about business and the value of ethics and the positive effects it has on all areas of the company.

Eager to continue learning, after one year at Modcloth, I returned to school through their tuition reimbursement program. I registered for one of the core requirements, an Environmental Science course, which educated me on the harsh realities of global warming. Encouraged by what I had learned, I began designing with sustainable fabrics, and I introduced environmental initiatives Modcloth could adopt into their supply chain. The following semester I registered for Microeconomics. However, I was promoted at work to be part of their first design team. We were a small team, and with the deadlines we were asked to meet, after a full day’s work in the office, I continued working from home in the evenings. Thus, making it difficult to continue attending classes, but I knew I eventually wanted to continue my studies. Due to my busy schedule, I could not attend a single class and neglected to withdraw from the course. For this reason, you see an unsatisfactory grade on my transcript for Fall 2015. Luckily, I was able to retake the course in Fall 2020 and passed with an A in the class.

In 2016, I traveled to Asia with Modcloth to visit factories to oversee product development. From the business and design conversations, and those about safe working conditions, this business trip revealed to me the vital connection between design, business, and ethics. I learned that when they partnered together, it resulted in a more successful business strategy and fostered a better relationship between cross-functional teams. Upon returning, I started attending the company’s weekly business reviews, and as a result, I began designing with the business initiatives in mind. Attending these meetings confirmed how much I valued learning, and I continued doing so by reading countless business books, which further motivated me to return to college. However, it was still unclear how I would make the transition.

In 2018, Modcloth experienced financial hardships and was acquired by Walmart. Through the acquisition, Modcloth’s vision and values waned, and with the increasingly demanding deadlines, it created a very stressful, unenjoyable environment. Like any other morning, I sat down with my coffee scrolling through the news highlighting the injustices around the world, and next to me, a pile of work staring at me to start designing next season’s collection. When it dawned on me, there are plenty of talented fashion designers, but unquestionably, there is a desperate need for human rights advocates. My work started to no longer fulfill me the way it once did. It became this constant reminder that even though I loved fashion, I felt an intrinsic need to make a meaningful difference in the world.

In late 2019, after working at Modcloth for six years, they laid off forty percent of their staff, myself included. I was devastated. As I was preparing for the next step in my career, I had to rethink my plans due to the quarantine. Through my disappointment, my mother said, “life surprises you when you least expect it, to guide you towards new opportunities.” Although I passionately enjoyed designing, the difference I aspired to achieve through fashion was not enough for me. I spent time studying the impressive works of Chief Justice Ginsberg and Amal Clooney and their significant impacts on international human rights and gender discrimination. Rather than achieving my goals through fashion, I saw the magnitude of what I could accomplish towards gender equality by changing systemic structures that discriminate and limit women in the workplace and in the world.

-Education: A Human Right-

My parents immigrated from Germany and Peru to the United States, and as a first-generation American, I was exposed to a wealth of culture. I have always admired the beauty of foreign cultures and even won a national poetry contest in 5th grade on the value of learning about diverse societies, languages, ethnicities, and races. Due to political and financial circumstances, my mother was forced to leave midway through university to immigrate to the United States. She sought to continue her education, but was unable to due to the cost of tuition, and as a result, could not pursue her career in psychology. Through my mother’s experience, I was disheartened to learn that education was not available to everyone everywhere. I contemplated education being a human right because it provides equal opportunities to fulfill your fullest potential. With education, we have the power to transform communities, nations, and the entire world.

I have always been eager to learn, whether in the classroom, at work, or through reading books. The intense feeling I experienced after reading books, like I Am Malala, motivated me to make a difference and emphasized the fundamental value of girls’ education. For this reason, I began volunteering with EmpowerHer to mentor girls in low-income communities to support their education for a better future. At University, I am eager to join A Circle of Women and UNICEF to continue advocating for girls’ education and to learn more about this issue through the human rights major and from professors, courses and work advocating for gender equality and education.

Through my determination to make a difference in women’s rights and education, I concluded that the only way I can make lasting change is per the law system. At University, I strive to learn about the history of women’s rights in education. By understanding its history, I can study the path that led us to the present and set forth the opportunities of how we build a better future. Women’s education is a domestic and international issue, and it needs to be approached with a change in economic and political policies with ethics driving these reforms. With a liberal arts and science education, I aspire to learn about these subjects in-depth through courses and the diverse viewpoints from professors and the student body to develop my perspectives in preparation for law school.

-Looking Ahead: My Journey To Becoming a Lawyer-

This past year, at thirty-one years old, I decided to change my career to law, and when I made this decision, it felt right in my heart. I knew I found my purpose. What led to me making this decision could be accredited to this past year highlighting numerous justice inequalities, but in hindsight, it was due to my upbringing and experiences. As a third culture individual, I experienced ethnicity, social class, and gender prejudices and inequalities growing up in Brentwood, a predominantly affluent white neighborhood. I am grateful for these experiences because they contributed to shaping who I am today, motivating me to achieve business success and be of service to the underserved. Ultimately forming my decision to become a lawyer and the kind of lawyer I aspire to be. My goal is to be an international business and human rights lawyer specializing in gender equality, a lawyer focused on ethics, perseverance, and makes well-researched judgments.

Thus, I began my journey. After a decade of not being a full-time student, I enrolled at Santa Monica College for the Fall 2020 semester. I had to refresh my memory and research for advice on taking notes, studying, and taking exams. Additionally, virtual learning due to COVID-19 made it challenging connecting with professors and students. I solved this challenge by attending office hours, building relationships with my professors, engaging in the class, and starting online Discord study groups. My determination and perseverance earned me on the Dean's Honor List, invitations into the Honor's Society, and Phi Theta Kappa. My greatest accomplishment has been my acceptance into Columbia University this coming fall.

Columbia University's School of General Studies is one of the most extensive nontraditional programs supporting students from various backgrounds and experiences intellectually motivated to change the world. With this diversity, I am exposed to an abundance of cultures, perspectives, and opportunities to learn from, creating an enriching and engaging community. As a trilingual third culture individual, diversity has benefited me in my cultural intelligence, adaptability, and creative problem-solving skills. Additionally, Columbia University is one of the few colleges on the East Coast offering a major in human rights paired with the economics and political science track. It is the perfect opportunity to grow in critical thinking, analyze moral decisions, and study their histories current issues. The human rights major uniquely allows me to take a broad range of courses focused on women and gender in global affairs. I am equally passionate about the opportunities to take upper-level courses and seminars, and extracurricular activities focused on service and law, such as the General Studies Student Council and Women in Law and Politics. Most importantly, when I look back at my time at university, I want to remember the relationships I built with my professors, advisors, and peers, what I learned from them and how I contributed to them.

At Columbia University, I can build a strong foundation to become the lawyer I aspire to be through its core values, diversity, professors, New York City location, academia, and extracurriculars. Ethics is embedded in Columbia’s core values, P.R.I.D.E., which are evident in the student body’s politically-engaged community participating in intellectual debates in a safe and respectful environment. Their values nurture a community showing empathy, compassion, and acceptance of others whose thoughts and beliefs are different from their own. Modcloth, where I worked as a fashion designer, shared similar values. I experienced the positive impact it made in creating a safe environment where you could ask questions, contribute to discussions, whether you were an assistant or an executive, and where you could genuinely be yourself.

I strive to become a lawyer that perseveres through adversity because it is a value I embrace, having seen my parent’s immigration and success journey. I will continue persevering at University, learning from professors encouraging students to take risks and challenging them to push themselves even further. Additionally, listening to world-renowned speakers and visiting faculty, like President Obama and Amal Clooney, inspiring students by offering their expertise, knowledge, and perspectives, provoking students to challenge their ideas and ways of thinking. New York City will also teach me perseverance; as beautiful and abundant as the city is, it also comes with its challenges. Being in the city allows me to work and intern in law, government, and non-profit organizations, applying my studies to real-world experiences. The location attracts diverse, open-minded, independent, and motivated students adding to the rich culture and learning environment.

Returning to university supports my goal to learn how to make well-researched decisions, primarily through the core curriculum. It embraces the art and culture of NYC and leaves its students well-versed in the classics. Studying the classics, history, social sciences, and philosophy are all essential foundations as a pre-law student provoking ethical and political theory encouraging active deliberation and debate to develop skills in writing, critical reading, problem-solving, and relationship building. This teaching method, including research-based learning and Socratic dialogue, will prepare me for the rigors of law school.

-Closing Remarks-

My experiences in the fashion industry and my passion for gender equality and education, paired with Columbia University’s diverse backgrounds and experiences create an experience that is enriching, thought-provoking, and motivating to create a better future and to make a difference in the world. I am thrilled to be sharing my journey with others and to inspire that they too can achieve their dreams and their goals. It is never too late to follow a different path, your own path.