Abigail (Abby) is an indigenous transfer student who immigrated to the United States at sixteen alongside her father and brother. In Guatemala, Abby loved school, exploring nature, and sewing indigenous clothes. To her, crossing the border meant a goodbye filled with sadness for leaving her hometown, her mother, and her baby sisters behind. Aside from facing family separation, learning English, and working full-time, Abby struggled to understand what it meant to be an undocumented immigrant, becoming her family's primary financial support, and making sense of her new life after such a drastic change. Abby discovered her passion for law at the age of nine, inspired by the injustices a family member faced within the legal system. This passion was further fueled in the U.S. after experiencing challenges due to a lack of knowledge of her rights.
At Cal, Abby is pursuing her BA in Economics to deepen her understanding of society from both the microeconomic and macroeconomic perspectives. This knowledge will equip her with the skills needed for law school and beyond. Abby's dedication and discipline drive her continuous journey and long-term goal of offering resources to her community through her legal non-profit organization. In her free time, Abby enjoys skydiving, watching shows and suspense movies, hiking, and trying new foods. Her journey at Cal will significantly impact her educational, professional, and personal growth as she prepares to fulfill her promise of advocating for justice and empowerment within her community through legal advocacy in the major leagues.
Ever since I immigrated, I have had mixed emotions as to how I feel about being in a country that is in constant war with the immigration situation. When I first immigrated through the border, I didn’t know that I was breaking a country’s law or that there would be people who would see me as an "alien." However, as I became more educated, I realized that there are strong viewpoints on both sides of this issue. The leaders of the country keep the rules in constant change based on their viewpoints, but the ones that encounter the consequences are the whole community. I want to focus my research on the way immigration policies are created, the process, the people, and everything involved in it. I think that there should be common ground in the legal system in which this constant battle stops being a battle. I would like to find out how to get there. My long-term goal is not only to become an attorney but also to advocate for steady immigration laws and reforms that will improve the lives of so many. I want to strengthen my arguments by avoiding biases. If we want to make changes, I think the voices that will provide the most accurate information will be the community itself. Being a Miller Scholar will equip me with the tools and knowledge needed to begin this new journey that has the ultimate goal of creating a more unified and strong society through the legal system.
