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

Yazmin Torres

Current Mailing Address

6230 n kenmore
705
Chicago, MI 48128
United States
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If mailing address is temporary, expected date when current mailing address is no longer valid

07/31/2026

Permanent Address (only if different from Current Mailing Address)

130 Nightingale St
Dearborn, MI 48128
United States
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Phone

(313) 566-3589

Connection to Illinois

Attending DePaul University College of Law

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

Chicago

Name of Law School

DePaul University College of Law

Class year

1st year law student

Full Time or Part Time Student?

Full Time

Date you began attending THIS law school

08/19/2025

Anticipated Graduation Date

05/20/2028

Current GPA

3.2

Law School Honors, Awards or Special Recognitions

Dean's Achievement Scholarship Recipient

Name of Undergraduate Institution

Central Michigan University

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

BA: Law and Economics, Spanish

Undergraduate Graduation Date

05/10/2025

GPA

3.9

Undergraduate Honors, Awards, or Special Recognitions

Summa Cum Laude
Multicultural Advancement Scholar
Central Michigan University College of Business Administration’s Outstanding Student Award

Were you employed in 2025?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

Legal Intern for Yazaki North America

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?

$15,000

Do you expect to be employed in 2026?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

n/a

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

$15,000

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

$875,000

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

Own

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

employer-sponsored health insurance

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

Total Tuition Cost $

55000

Books Cost $

1650

Fees Cost $

1500

Housing Cost $

14000

Food Cost $

4000

Other Costs $ (describe)

Personal care: 2000

Total Expenses $ (add above entries)

78150

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

Student Loans $

40000

Scholarships and Grants $

20000

Work Study, if any $

n/a

Personal Contribution (Savings/Employment) $

15000

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

1200

Other Sources $ (describe)

part-time work: 1000

Total Funding $ (add above entries)

76200

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

n/a

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)

-I was a Teacher's Assistant at Southwest Solutions in Detroit, MI. Southwest Solutions is a non-profit aimed at assisting the communities (widely Hispanic) in Southwest Detroit with educationa dn housing issues. I participated in volunteering from Jun 2022 to August 2022. I created a Google Classroom for an intermediate adult Spanish class and assisted the main instructor with the summer session lessons.
- I was the president for Prospanica: Association of Hispanic MBAs & Business Professionals, Central Michigan University Chapter, from May 2022 to May 2025. Prospanica's mission is to set up Hispanic business students with skills and a network to push them ahead of the curve in the business world. I organized and hosted events such as the 2024 Hispanic Heritage Month Opening Keynote, 2024/2023 Hispanic
Heritage Month Tortilla-Making Workshop, and Latine Entrepreneurship & Small Business Success Panel. I facilitated workshops to enhance students' professional development skills. I built partnerships with companies and organizations to increase student engagement and collaboration. I successfully arranged for multiple students to attend the Prospanica National Conference in October 2023, the Prospanica Leadership Summit in March 2024, and the Prospanica National Conference in October 2024. I directed bi-weekly general meetings to foster a strong community within the College of Business Administration. I led bi-weekly executive board meetings with five other members to plan, assess progress, and strategize future initiatives for the organization.
- I was a Multicultural Advancement Scholar at Central Michigan University. I was selected as a campus leader at Central Michigan University for my commitment to advancing underrepresented groups in the United States. I participated in numerous events for each Cultural Heritage Month, organized by the Multicultural Academic Student Services Office, to deepen my understanding of cultures beyond my own. I planned and hosted events for Hispanic Heritage Month in collaboration with the Multicultural Academic Student Services Office. I completed multiple courses focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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)

What are you studying? What are your goals? Where do you see yourself at graduation? These questions began to close in on me at the start of my college experience. Sitting at my first-year student orientation became an overwhelming experience that came with thoughts of uncertainty in not having answers or a favorite subject in school that would set a clear path to my future. All I knew was that I needed to pursue a higher education. I had to get ahead. As I sat with these pressuring questions around me, I felt myself being shoved to the ground. A feeling of hopelessness came over me, and I felt helpless and consumed by regret for even attempting to pursue a higher education. I could not see myself living away from home in a new place with new people. I was scared and alone, but would not be alone for long. This feeling would soon escape me, and I learned that what I was feeling was anxiety.
This instance was not the first time I had panic attacks from anxiety. “It’s okay, mija, you have to stop crying before you make yourself a river and float away!” my mom would say to me while I sat in her arms with salty tears in my eight-year-old eyes. This moment is the earliest memory I have of experiencing anxiety. This anxiety has manifested in various forms in my life, whether through panic attacks, imposter syndrome, or social overwhelm. I felt this immense pressure of needing to know the outcomes, and at times, I thought I would be unable to achieve these personal goals. However, this initial college experience flooded me with memories of high school, where successful people surrounded me. My peers were at the top of the class, sophisticated students, and I felt unworthy of my place within this group of elites. How could I, the daughter of first-generation Mexican Americans, be the one to step up and claim a seat at this table?
As a second-generation Mexican American woman, I have been filled with the determination not to let anxiety hold me back from reaching my full social and economic potential. I knew I had to find a place where I felt welcomed and understood. That day at orientation, I explored the student organizations on campus to spark a connection that could keep me wanting to stay and thrive. I found two organizations that finally spoke to me: the Empowered Latino Union and Ballet Folklórico de la Luz. These two groups consisted of second-generation and first-generation Hispanic students who wanted to build a community of unity and culture. I was no longer alone. I had a community of students who shared similar backgrounds and would support me in my endeavors.
I had to reconnect with my authentic self to overcome my feelings of being an imposter. I explored various solutions to achieve self-realization, seeking relief from the heavy weight on my chest. At that time, therapy, meditation, exercise–none of these solutions could dispel the persistent gray cloud in my mind. As I matured, I began to understand my triggers. I learned to step back, breathe, and reflect on why I had relentlessly pushed toward achievement. By understanding my triggers and connecting with my deeper purpose, I was able to shift my mindset and gain clarity about my true self. I am someone who values sharing what I have and offering support to others. I am someone who struggles with chronic anxiety, but I pour my heart into everything I do, striving for the best results. I am someone who can create meaningful connections with those who come into my life.
My challenging journey with anxiety and identity has deepened my fortitude as I move forward in life. As a second-generation Mexican American, I may not face the exact struggles that immigrants do, but I share in the feelings of resilience, uncertainty, hope, and a need for community. My experiences have given me a firsthand view of the importance of support and networks, and the power held in advocacy, especially in the field of immigration law. Finding a home on my university’s campus has shown me the value of community support and motivated me to help others navigate similar feelings of displacement or vulnerability.
My family’s journey has also inspired me to build a career advocating for those who seek a better life. Learning to embrace my strengths and work through challenges has taught me resilience—an essential quality for law school and a legal career, where persistence is often required to bring about meaningful change. I am a driven and resilient person with a powerful sense of purpose and a deep commitment to making a positive impact. My family’s story of creating a stable life through hard work and education has inspired me to overcome my personal obstacles and help others access these same opportunities.
Now, having been through my first semester of law school at DePaul University, my determination is being fueled by the people around me. Moving to a new city, a new state, was an intense decision, but I am the happiest I have ever been. I am surrounded by intelligent, hardworking, and uplifting people. At every turn is a plethora of opportunities to learn, volunteer, and network. Each day I wake up, and I am reminded of my purpose: to serve those most vulnerable. I have goals of outreach and reform. My ultimate goal is to create immigration reform that has been sought after since the 1990s. I want to change lives on a base level, although I believe that the best way to create change is not to adjust to the rules but to change the rules completely to adhere to our modern world.
I have had my share of fears hold me back, but I refuse to be held up by false thoughts. I channel the strength that my community has built every day to push me forward in making a change on a local and national level. I am excited for what the future holds because I honor my past and use it as the steps that I climb in the present.

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

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Torres.Yazmin.FinAwardLtr.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*