After struggling for many years to figure out what I wanted to do, once my path became clear, I walked it resolutely and inexorably. My focus and determination earned my place; graduating with honors while also working full time. Hard work and grit also landed me a full tuition scholarship at MSU, allowing me to take the privileged choice to move to Michigan from California and pursue my future here.While my long term goals were not always clear to me, the strong example my father set for me growing up instilled a deep desire to serve my community. That interest is reflected in my work experience, with six years at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles. Not only was I given ample opportunity to progress and grow, rising through the ranks from Driver's Assistant to E-Commerce Manager, I was also allowed a level of flexibility in order to achieve my educational goals.Through studying political science and becoming more aware of structural inequities, I discovered an interest in and passion for criminal justice. My hope is to earn a place in state government that will enable me to make real and lasting positive change to our justice system to address the disastrous and long-standing disparities of mass incarceration.