P.M.O

Interview with Cristina:

Where are you from?

• I was born in the beautiful city of Chicago (where I currently reside), but I am from Hammond, Indiana. (Heyyyyy 219, heyyyyy).

Describe your #powermove(s).

• Currently I am a 2L student at Chicago-Kent College of Law. This in itself is one of the biggest #powermoves I have ever made in my life. I am a first generation college student as well as the first in my entire family to pursue any post-graduate degree. My parents had me as teenagers and my father was tried as an adult and sentenced to prison when I was two weeks old. Because of my background I was constantly told that I would amount to nothing. But looking back on all that negativity, I realize it only pushed me to work harder to prove everyone wrong.
  My biggest #powermove thus far is that I was named the 2017 Barnes & Thornburg LLP Chicago Diversity Scholar. This meant that I was not only one of the only 1L’s in my class to work as a summer associate for a large law firm, but I was one of the very small number of 1L’s nationwide with this position. Even when I was told by others that I wouldn’t get the job, I bet on myself…and everything fell into place.
  After an amazing summer at Barnes & Thornburg LLP, I was able to receive an offer to return for the 2019 summer. Additionally, I am humbled to say that I am currently a judicial extern for the Honorable Chief Judge Castillo of the Northern District of Illinois. Chief Judge Castillo was the very first Latino Federal Judge in the state of Illinois and he was the first Latino to be named Chief Judge of the Northern District of Illinois. Being able to say I work with Chief Judge Castillo makes my heart so full and it makes my family beyond proud..

What inspires you to make these #powermove(s)?

• I began making these #powermoves because of my family, but as time went on I realized the #powermoves I would be making would be for a purpose beyond that. My story began with my great grandparents on both sides of my family. They came to Chicago in the 1950s, and I am blessed to say that my great grandparents on my father’s side still live in the same house they moved into on the Southeast side. I constantly tell my great grandfather that if it wasn’t for him and my great grandmother, none of this would be possible. It would be a disservice to them if I did not achieve greatness simply because they risked everything with the belief that our family was going to be great. My parents have also been a major inspiration as to why I make these #powermoves. My whole life they uplifted me and reminded me that I could do anything and everything I put my mind to. My father used to tell me, “You’re going to change everything for us and this family shorty,” and that always stuck with me. They sacrificed so much to make sure that had the tools necessary to become successful. If it wasn’t for my parents I would not have made it through high school, college, and now law school. I owe them the world and more. With them comes my grandmother Lupe, my mom’s mother. Words cannot begin to describe what she means to me and what she has done for me throughout my entire life. I live to see her smile and I know she does with every #powermove I make.

• Most importantly, the younger generation of Women of Color that comes after me is my true inspiration. Women of Color, especially Latinas, are vastly underrepresented in the legal profession. Only 8% of private practice attorneys are Women of Color, and of the 23% of women that make up law firm partners – less than 3% are Women of Color. As a proud Latina, this statistic is even more frightening because according to the Hispanic National Bar Association, Latinas compromise only 1.9% of law associates and 0.4% of partners in law firms. You see, representation is so important because we live in a world where women like myself and those that I call my sisters, are told that we will not make it. But with the #powermoves I make, I hope to show the generation of Women of Color that
  comes after me that we belong here. Even when the odds are stacked against us and when the world tries its best to keep us down - we will remain strong and
  we are not going anywhere.

What is something you want folks to know about you or your #powermove(s)?

• When given the opportunity I love talking to middle and high school students about my story, especially students who come from a similar background as me. When I talk to them I always tell them to bet on themselves, to keep pushing, to keep striving, and to do whatever it takes to accomplish any goals they have. I tell them that I believe in them and that if I can make it to where I am now, they can make it too. There is no greater feeling than seeing their eyes light up when you tell them that. As if all they needed to hear was a simple, “I believe in you.” If you take anything from me and my story (no matter what point you are at in your life) I hope that it is this: Where you begin is not necessarily where you end up; never let another person try to limit your capabilities, never let an individual try to downgrade your intelligence, never let someone cutdown your hustle, never forget where you came from because it made you who you are, never forget about the people who uplifted you when you needed it the most, and never give up on yourself. You were created and put on this Earth for a reason -
  so be all that you are destined to be. I believe in you.