Laura is a third-year law student at Northern Illinois University College of Law and a college graduate from Northern Illinois University. She is passionate about advocating for immigrant communities and has been actively leading and organizing several multi-year workshops and campaigns at NIU to support immigrant students. Through this work, Laura has realized “how important it is to have the voices of those most impacted by proposed changes in the law included throughout the entire process, from drafting the proposed legislation to the signing of the law.” As a first-generation law student, she aspires to create systemic change and plans to practice immigration law. This summer, Laura will be preparing for the Illinois bar exam. The HLSF award will advance her career by providing the financial support necessary to complete her legal studies. HLSF proudly welcomes this future Latina lawyer to its network and the overall community of Latino lawyers.