By Ashley Fisher, Fellow Class of 2015
University of Colorado at Boulder
As a little girl, the question was always, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would answer, “a princess”, or, “a nurse.” As I got older, my answer changed. I thought maybe I could be a pediatrician or a teacher. I was not exactly sure what I wanted to do; I had many ideas, but never settled on one. Now that I am in my second year of college, with a little more knowledge and experience under my belt, I finally have a solid answer. I want to be an immigration lawyer. I want to help those who cannot help themselves; I want to be an advocate for others.
When I first considered law school, or even being a lawyer, I considered specializing in family law. My mother had gone through a very long, difficult, and emotionally damaging divorce when I was in my early teens. Had it not been for her lawyer’s tremendous work, my life would not be where it is now. I may not have even enrolled in college. Her lawyer worked endlessly to ensure that the law took care of my brother and me. The impact my mother’s lawyer had on my life was, and is still, inspiring. Because of him, I decided I wanted to go to law school. For awhile, I wanted to be just like him. I wanted to help other children who were in the midst of tough divorces between their parents, the same way my mother’s lawyer helped me.
Though I still want to help children, the area of law I want to specialize in has changed. I want to focus on immigration law because it helps children and their families on a much more substantial level. Immigration has become a very relevant, difficult topic. I think many people fail to realize that whether he or she is an immigrant themselves, this situation affects everyone.
No man, woman, or child deserves to have their family torn apart because they are from another country - regardless of legal status. When you strip away socio-economic status, race/ethnicity, and every other socially defined characteristic, we are all the same. Todos somos humanos verdad?
My dream is to help as many families as I can, in any and every way possible. As a lawyer, I know I will have the ability to advocate for others who cannot do so for themselves. I know I cannot change the world, but if I can change the world for even just one family, my dream will have become a reality.
