Laura was born in Puebla, Mexico and immigrated to the United States at the age of one, settling in Pacoima with her mother and three younger sisters. As the eldest child, Laura was determined to strive for a higher education and become the first in her family to attend a university. Currently, she is in her third year at University of California, Berkeley with the intended major of sociology.

In her first year of college, Laura joined an organization known as Rising Immigrant Scholars through Education (R.I.S.E.). Through her participation in R.I.S.E., she became more confident at public speaking and gained a stronger sense of community. Laura has improved her leadership skills through her position at R.I.S.E. as an outreach coordinator, which has also helped her outreach to various communities in order to plan events.

Through volunteering with the Coalition of Concerned Medical Professionals, Laura was pushed out of her comfort zone, learning how to grow professionally and learn new skills. For example, at CCMP Laura was trained to manage in-take appointments, lead public advocacy, and support recruitment for volunteers.

For her placement in the DreamSF Fellowship, Laura will be working at La Raza Community Resource Center. There, is responsible for case management, intake appointments, and administrative tasks. As she continues to work alongside the team at LRCRC, Laura hopes to gain and develop new professional and leadership skills to support and empower underserved communities. In her free time, Laura likes to read, draw, and travel.

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