"In order to
succeed, we must first believe that we can."
Growing up in Sun Valley, a city in LosAngeles, everyday life was full of things going on around me that I knew were
wrong, and also a few things that I had no idea were wrong. I witnessed and experienced things in my neighborhood that I felt needed
to change. I became involved with the family
courts when I was put into foster care at the age of 10. As a young child I was exposed to the injustices
suffered by many of the youth of my small neighborhood. As I reflect back now, I wish that more
teachers and adults had stepped up to do the right thing for me and my siblings. Although I have moved on and out of Los
Angeles, I still want to be part of that change.
Also, I had no idea what it meant to be “illegal” and didn't
know that the majority of my childhood friends were not citizens. I didn't understand why my best friend could
not get on a plane to visit after her family moved her to New York. Now as adults many of those same friends are
still living in the U.S. illegally, either because their parents never filed
the paperwork for them, or because they don’t know what to do about their
situation. Many young adults are faced
with this challenge now because their parents never told them that they were
not here on legal terms. I believe that
these people need to be educated, someone should be helping them. After all, they have lived in the U.S.
practically all of their lives, why should they be forced to go to a country
that they know nothing about and with no way of making a living because no one
is willing to help? I want to be part of
the movement to educate illegals and help them reach for the “American Dream”.
When I graduated from high school I just wanted to get away
from the corruption and violence that was everyday life in Los Angeles and
avoid becoming a statistic, so I joined the Navy. I only meant to stay for the initial four
years to give myself time to decide what I wanted to do with my life; but I soon
realized that I was really good at following orders and even better at telling
people what to do. I eventually ended up
voluntarily separating after spending 15 years doing what I will always
consider the best job in the world. The
Navy groomed me to be the responsible person I am today. Being the oldest of six children, I was a
natural born leader, but it was in the Navy that I really honed in on those
skills. As part of the leadership, I
learned how to multitask my own assignments while supervising the tasks that I
had assigned my subordinates. I became an expert at time management and
organization, perfecting my ability to successfully do my part in accomplishing
the mission even in the most stressful situations. I am a highly skilled individual with strong
leadership and motivational skills; adept at making decisions and multitasking
during fast-paced and demanding situations, and meeting deadlines with a sense
of urgency. I am also skilled at
maintaining positive relationships while working to resolve problems. I believe that these skills that I have
acquired over a 15 year career in the Military along with my own natural
ability to communicate with others and my drive to succeed will be a great
asset to the legal field.
I am currently a student at the New York Career Institute
working on my Paralegal Studies degree.
I will be graduating in spring of 2015.
From there, I plan to secure a paralegal position at a Family Law, or
Immigration Law firm. I will be seeking
to transfer Military leadership and administrative experience to a rewarding
and challenging paralegal position. I am
sincere and honest with a high level of personal and professional integrity, a
genuine team player, a fast learner, and eager to take on new challenges. I can't wait to get started!
Michelle Lozano
2014
2014
