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

Rachel Perales

Current Mailing Address

944 W Cuyler Ave
Chicago, Illinois 60613
United States
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If mailing address is temporary, expected date when current mailing address is no longer valid

06/01/2026

Phone

(815) 322-3357

Connection to Illinois

Born and raised

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

Chicago

Name of Law School

DePaul University College of Law

Class year

2nd year law student

Full Time or Part Time Student?

Full Time

Date you began attending THIS law school

08/20/2024

Anticipated Graduation Date

05/17/2027

Current GPA

3.482

Law School Class Rank (if known)

Top 25%

Law School Honors, Awards or Special Recognitions

Founder of Decarceration Collective
3+3 Accelerated Program Participant
Presidential Scholarship

Name of Undergraduate Institution

DePaul University

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

BA in Criminology

Undergraduate Graduation Date

06/16/2025

GPA

3.947

Class Rank (if known)

Undergraduate Honors, Awards, or Special Recognitions

Summa Cum Laude
Presidential Scholarship
Valedictorian in Criminology
Outstanding Senior Award
Honors Graduate Program

Were you employed in 2025?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

DePaul University Housing
Parole Illinois
MacArthur Foundation

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?

18k (just me)

Do you expect to be employed in 2026?

yes

If yes, please identify your employer(s).

DePaul University Housing
Cabrini Green Legal Aid (Summer Intern)
Parole Illinois

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

10k

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

Bankrupt... not sure

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

Just was forclosed on, now "owning" a townhome.

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

Dad is not covered, Mom is covered through work, Dad medical bills led to the forclosure of house. I believe he is on Medicaid now through Unemployment/Disability

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

Total Tuition Cost $

53700

Books Cost $

1000

Fees Cost $

2500

Housing Cost $

10800

Food Cost $

1000

Other Costs $ (describe)

Pet - 1500 - Healthcare - 3000

Total Expenses $ (add above entries)

73500

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

Student Loans $

27500

Scholarships and Grants $

40000

Work Study, if any $

N/A

Personal Contribution (Savings/Employment) $

6000

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

n/a

Other Sources $ (describe)

n/a

Total Funding $ (add above entries)

73500

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

$96,829

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 am on the E-Board for the Latin Law Student Association, and we help build a community for Latino law students at our law school through events tailored to the Latin experience. Panels with latin panelist, forums focused on exposing Latinos to different job sectors, etc. (Oct. 2024- current)

Parole IL is a nonprofit that helps those whose families are affected by incarceration, which predominantly affects black and brown communities. (Feb 2023-current)

As an RA, I was in charged for a diverse group of residents, including first-generation residents who were predominately hispanic/Latino. Helped navigate the scary freshman-sophomore year to first generation latino students. (Aug 2022-May 2025)

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)

I am the person I am today because of the communities that raised me, the adversity that shaped me, and the resilience passed down through my family. As a first-generation Mexican-American law student, my identity is rooted in perseverance, service, and a deep commitment to justice for people who have historically been excluded from it. I hope to become an attorney who not only understands the law, but who uses it as a tool to empower marginalized communities, particularly those impacted by incarceration, poverty, and systemic inequity
I grew up in Cicero, Illinois, in a lower-income household where instability was not abstract; it was personal. My father was incarcerated during my childhood, and my family felt the consequences long after his sentence began. I watched my mother shoulder the emotional and financial burden of raising our family while navigating systems that were indifferent, and often hostile, to families like ours. Visiting my father in prison taught me early on that punishment in America does not stop with the individual; it extends to families and entire communities. Those experiences shaped my understanding of justice and planted the seed for my desire to pursue law.
When my family later moved to a predominantly white suburban area, I became acutely aware of how race and class affect opportunity. I faced stereotyping and subtle discrimination, from lowered expectations in academic spaces to assumptions about my background and abilities. At times, I felt pressure to minimize parts of my identity to fit in. Instead, I chose to excel academically and to lean into my cultural roots as a source of strength. Being Mexican-American taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of collective success... values that continue to guide me in law school.
My ancestry inspires my career goals because it reminds me that my achievements are not mine alone. I carry the sacrifices of my parents and grandparents with me into every classroom and professional space. Their labor, faith, and endurance motivate me to pursue a legal career dedicated to service. In Mexican culture, family and community are central, and that principle has shaped my commitment to public-interest law and criminal justice reform.
During my undergraduate years I studied Criminology and became involved in the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program at Stateville Prison. Learning alongside incarcerated men fundamentally changed how I view the justice system. It affirmed what I had witnessed growing up: that people are more than their worst mistakes, and that meaningful reform requires listening to the voices of those directly impacted. The path to law school was not easy. As a first-generation student, I navigated higher education without a roadmap, balancing financial constraints, family responsibilities, and the pressure to succeed. There were moments of self-doubt, but I drew strength from my community, my cultural heritage, and the belief that my presence in legal spaces matters. I handled challenges by seeking mentorship, building supportive networks, and staying grounded in my purpose.
Today, I am a first-year law student at DePaul College of Law, driven by a clear mission: to use my legal education to create pathways to justice for communities like the one that raised me. In the future, I hope to be an attorney who not only advocates in courtrooms and policy spaces but also gives back, mentoring first-generation students, supporting impacted families, and honoring my roots through service. I have founded the Decarceration Collective at DePaul in hopes law students realize how deep mass incarceration goes and ways to help those effected throughout thier career.
Receiving the Hispanic Scholarship would not only support my legal education but also affirm the value of investing in students whose lived experiences strengthen the legal profession. I am committed to carrying my culture, my community, and my responsibility forward, using the law to build a more just and equitable future.

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

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Perales.Rachel.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*