Mr. René J. Valenzuela is a second-year law student at Loyola University Chicago School of Law. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies from Pomona College. Mr. Valenzuela hopes to use his law degree to work alongside Chicago communities at the intersection of education, immigration, and criminal law. He plans to use the HLSF scholarship to cover tuition and student fees. This summer he will return to Equip for Equality and join the Special Education Team, where he will work primarily with Spanish-speaking families to ensure students with disabilities in Illinois have access to a free and appropriate public education.