Meet a Few of Our 2010 Participants

Matthew is a 16 year-old young man from East Oakland who is interested in a law career. In our 2010 program, he interned in his own city councilmember's office. The program graduation ceremony, he said "My summer experience was to me, a look into what it means to be an adult... I want to show my appreciation to the staff and those that support this program by showing that I am a positive contribution to society... Also, I want to show that if you try hard enough anything is possible!" When asked to describe his goals in life, he answered "to become the next Obama!"

One of our 2010 participants from Richmond is in the midst of turning her life around. As a younger teenager, she received a juvenile conviction, but after that decided to change her life. She cut off contact with kids that were a negative influence and dedicated herself to doing well in school. She had very much wanted to become a police officer, and was crushed when our police department internship would not accept her as an intern because of her conviction. She kept a positive attitude and was an excellent intern in the office she was assigned to. At the end of the summer, she said: "The Summer Legal Fellowship Program has given me more assurance that anything is possible... I have learned more about the real world... and a lot more about myself." She described her goals as follows: "By the time I am 35 I will be founder of a home for children in need. This home will be for children aged 4-19. I want to give these kids the stability, encouragement, love and support that is needed to get ahead in life. I will call it 'Una Mejor Vida,' 'A Better Life.'"

N., from Oakland, expressed interest in pursuing a law career when she applied to the program because "Law is the most vital factor that keeps society together." She loved her internship working in her own congressperson's office. Early one morning toward the end of the program, she called the director to say she might be late to class because she was coming from a new, farther-away location. She arrived on time, and she was attentive and participating as always. Later she revealed that the location was a homeless shelter where she was living with her mother and sister. (She has two brothers but they are in prison.) Her mother and sister attended the graduation ceremony a few days later and were proud to see her win one of the scholarship awards we gave out. She is now getting top grades in her senior year of high school and applying to college.

Joshue attends Richmond High School. Although the school has a reputation for violence and a high dropout rate, he wants people to realize there are many motivated students like himself and many great teachers. He started off shy and reserved in the program, but became animated in class debates about political issues such as the recent Arizona legislation regarding undocumented immigrants. By the end of the summer, he ended up captivating us with a creative and compelling closing argument in the mock trial, which he delivered without referring to any notes. At the end of the program, he stated "In this program, I learned it's not as hard as I thought to get into college -- I can't make excuses for myself." He is facing a challenging time now because his younger brother passed away recently and his family is grieving. But he is maintaining his grades in high school and intends to go to college, and possibly law school.

J. was at a challenging time in her life when she joined our program. A few months earlier, she had told her mother she is gay, and her mother kicked her out of the house. (She was able to stay with a friend.) A few weeks into the summer program, she came out to the students in the program. In her exit interview, she said "I felt safe, like I didn't have to worry about what people thought of me." She also said "This summer I realized who I was. Being here taught me that I don't have to fit in, I just am me." She loved working on projects having to do with youth and civil liberties in her internship at the ACLU, and is considering a career as a lawyer or psychologist.

LaMejonna interned at the East Bay Community Law Center. In a scholarship essay, she wrote about her goals in life: "Every time I tell someone that I want to be a doctor or a lawyer I always get the same harsh words. They say ‘You can't do that, it's impossible. Girl, why even try, you're not going to be able to make it through all that schooling.’ My goal is to make it through college and shield out all of the negativity and stereotypes that surround me... Working in my internship this summer motivated me to do what the lawyers were doing, which was making a difference in the community and making someone's life better." Here are excerpts of a poem she wrote and recited at our program graduation ceremony:



My only wish is to get to college
to get the knowledge
for my future to become a
doctor or a lawyer.
...
I want to go to college and make a difference
not waste my life
and have strife.
I refuse to sit under the covers
and pull back another
sheet over my head
while my fellow citizen
is 20 seconds from being dead.
I am that lawyer
I am that doctor
I am your future
I am me.

She is now in her senior year of high school and applying to college.