Scholar Entries - Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund of Illinois

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Are you a past recipient of an Hispanic Lawyers Scholarship Fund award?

Name

Christina Lewis

Current Mailing Address

3026 NE 43rd Ave
Portland, OR, OR 97213
US Minor Outlying Islands
Map It

Phone

(917) 401-8181

Connection to Illinois

none

In what city do you intend to practice law upon graduation?

Portland, OR or Los Angeles California

Name of Law School

lewis and clark law

Class year

1st year law student

Full Time or Part Time Student?

Full Time

Date you began attending THIS law school

08/02/2025

Anticipated Graduation Date

05/09/2028

Current GPA

grades have not been released

Name of Undergraduate Institution

Portland State

Degree (BA, BSE, etc.) and Concentration/Major

Political Science

Undergraduate Graduation Date

06/26/2022

GPA

3.8

Undergraduate Honors, Awards, or Special Recognitions

presidents list, honors

Were you employed in 2025?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

Self-employed — freelance film and commercial production work

What was your immediate family’s (including you and your spouse or domestic partner, if applicable) estimated income from all sources for the 2025 Tax Year?

90k

Do you expect to be employed in 2026?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

I am a full time parent in law school

Please estimate your immediate family’s (including you and your spouse or domestic partner, if applicable) income from all sources for the 2026 Tax year

90k

Please estimate your parent's average annual household income over the last five years

n/a

Do your parents own or rent their home? Please describe, if necessary

we own

Describe your parents' health insurance situation. Do they have employer-sponsored health insurance, health insurance through the exchange, or no health insurance?

We are not covered by employer-sponsored insurance; they buy their coverage independently and pay out of pocket.

LIST below your total EXPENSES for attending law school for ONE YEAR (Please refer to example in FAQs)

Total Tuition Cost $

62k/year

Books Cost $

3k/year

Fees Cost $

3k/year

Housing Cost $

5,900/month

Food Cost $

1,400/month

Other Costs $ (describe)

gas, health inusrance, car lease

Total Expenses $ (add above entries)

1,500/month

LIST below your total FUNDING sources you plan to use to pay for these expenses (Please refer to example in FAQs)

Student Loans $

10k

Scholarships and Grants $

30k

Work Study, if any $

Personal Contribution (Savings/Employment) $

10k

Family Contribution $ (include parents, spouse, partner, etc.)

Other Sources $ (describe)

Total Funding $ (add above entries)

50k

For 2Ls and 3Ls, what is your current TOTAL loan debt from the previous law school years?

Please list any community service activities with which you have been involved in the last ten years, paying particular attention to activities in support of the Hispanic community. For each activity, please include the dates of your participation, a short description of the organization and the community they serve, and a description of the activity you performed to help them. (Please read FAQs before completing)

1. Teacher’s Aide, Rigler Elementary – Spanish Language Immersion Program

Dates: 2022
Description of Organization: Rigler Elementary is a public Spanish immersion school serving a large Hispanic and bilingual student population.
My Role: Assisted 4th-grade students with reading, literacy, and small-group academic work. Supported Spanish-speaking students and helped maintain a culturally responsive classroom environment.

2. Support for Spanish-Speaking Families (Community-Based Assistance)

Dates: 2016–Present
Description of Organization: Informal community assistance for Spanish-speaking immigrant families in Portland and Los Angeles who face language or access barriers.
My Role: Provided translation and interpretation, assisted with school documents, medical forms, and communications, and helped families navigate educational and institutional systems. Used bilingual skills to ensure families understood and accessed the services they needed.

3. Community and Church Involvement – Mexican Community in Los Angeles

Dates: 2016–2023
Description of Organization: My mother’s local Mexican church community in Los Angeles, which supports many immigrant and Spanish-speaking families.
My Role: Assisted with community events, cultural programming, and informal support for Spanish-speaking congregants. Helped families with translation, form completion, and communication needs, and supported cultural and educational activities for children and families.

Please provide a statement describing your background and focus your statement on your reasons for pursuing a legal career and your legal career goals. This statement is important. Please give it appropriate attention. (min. 1000 characters) (Please read FAQs before completing)

My childhood was shaped by the years I spent living in my grandmother’s house in Mexico, where our family's bodega opened at 7 a.m. every day. The bodega was the heartbeat of our neighborhood — a place where people charged their groceries to a tab, where my aunt extended credit without hesitation, and where abundance existed even in poverty. Surrounded by neighbors who relied on one another, I learned early that community care is part of our cultural fabric. Those memories remain some of the most beautiful of my life and deeply inform who I am.

I returned to the United States at age six after being raised in Mexico by my grandmother and aunt. My mother, a Mexican immigrant with a fifth-grade education and a history marked by hardship, had given me up as a baby so she could work and attend school. When we were reunited, I did not speak English and had never formally met her. The transition was jarring, but necessity taught me to adapt quickly; within five months, I became fluent. That early separation from my mother and the challenges of crossing cultural and linguistic worlds continue to shape my perspective, especially as I consider the experiences of immigrant families facing far more severe obstacles.

As an adult, I built a career as a stylist and costume designer in the film and commercial industry. It was a demanding environment that required constant problem-solving, resilience, and the ability to perform under intense pressure. Those years taught me how to advocate, negotiate, and overcome obstacles, skills that now drive my commitment to supporting immigrant families. The birth of my daughter in 2016 shifted my priorities, especially as I watched news coverage of children separated from their parents at the U.S.–Mexico border. Seeing my family’s past reflected in those families clarified my purpose: to use my experience and skills to protect families from the pain my own endured. My journey, personally and professionally, has prepared me to pursue a path that enables me to make meaningful change for immigrant families.

This is why I chose law. My Mexican heritage, bilingual identity, and family’s story have given me a deep understanding of what many immigrant families face. I want to use my legal education to expand access to immigration representation, particularly for my Mexican community in Oregon and Los Angeles. Many people cannot afford legal guidance, and their lack of access places their families at risk. My goal is to provide free or low-cost immigration assistance so the most vulnerable can understand their rights, avoid harm, and keep their families together.

My identity is rooted in the culture that raised me: a family that spans Indigenous and white ancestry, a neighborhood where people looked out for one another, and a lineage of women who survived hardship through strength and determination. I pass that heritage to my bilingual children, and I carry it with me as I build my legal career. Pursuing immigration law is not simply a professional choice — it is a personal commitment to the community that has shaped me.

Everything I have overcome — from navigating two countries and two cultures to succeeding in an unforgiving industry and returning to school as a mother — has prepared me for this path. I am committed to becoming an immigration attorney who brings compassion, clarity, and access to those who need it most. My purpose is to ensure that immigrant families, especially those who share my heritage, have the support and advocacy they deserve.

Please upload a copy of your financial award letter labeled as follows: LastName.FirstName.FinAwardLtr*

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lewis-christina-finAward-Ltr.pdf

Please upload a copy of your resume labeled as follows: LastName.FirstName.Resume*

Please upload a copy of your law school transcript labeled as follows: LastName.FirstName.LSTranscript*