What were you doing before you came to Rutgers Law School?

Before Rutgers Law School I worked as a Resource Development Associate and Project Coordinator at Greater Bergen Community Action, Inc. (GBCA), a nonprofit organization.  At GBCA, I fundraised more than $20 million for poverty relief programs commissioned throughout Bergen, Passaic and Hudson counties. As a Program Coordinator, I managed the agency’s Sandy Homeowners Renters Assistance Program which distributed $5 million in financial aid to 500 families reestablishing their livelihoods after Super Storm Sandy.

In wanting to work more closely with people on a personal level, I left GBCA to learn about Waldorf Education in Stuttgart, Germany.  Upon returning to the United States, I taught High School ESL in New York to new immigrants arriving from Central America from February 2019-December 2019. 

 How did you choose to come to law school, and why Rutgers? 

Through my previous work of assisting those on the fringes of financial ruin and legal peril, I found myself wanting to do more. I felt needed beyond my office and classroom and as I wished to accompany students to immigration court or help clients settle various disputes, I discovered that I enjoy the nature of problem solving and that sitting on the sidelines is not in my character. Prompted to reflect upon ways to grow, I saw law school as a great next step.
 
After being admitted to Rutgers Law School, the choice was easy. Rutgers Law School’s commitment to community and social justice speaks to my values as a person in a way that other law schools do not. In addition, the school’s location in the New York Metropolitan Area allows students to develop careers in a region unparalleled in terms of its diversity in population and opportunity.  

What do you hope to get out of law school? 

Over the next few years, I hope to learn as much as I can from my professors and peers to achieve my goal of becoming a better advocate. Thanks to Professor Safrin, I may have found a new interest in contracts which I want to explore.

Talk a Little More About Yourself 

I am originally from New York but have lived in a number of different places. I graduated with a B.A. in International Relations from Franklin University Switzerland in Lugano, Switzerland after taking a year of classes at the American University of Rome. As a student of Franklin University Switzerland, I travelled through Europe and beyond every semester as part of my university’s academic travel program which exposed me to topics ranging from the reconstruction of Former Yugoslavia to the political economy of transatlantic trade. From these studies and travels, I developed fluency in Spanish, Italian, and German which I hope I continue to use throughout my career. 

Anything else? 

When I am not reading for class, I enjoy cooking vegetarian meals, playing music, and rock-climbing.