Then and Now

I was 33 when I decided to go back to school. I was in a dead-end job—up to that point I had worked in sales, customer service and construction. I started evening classes at SLCC, while juggling being a husband and a dad. I bombed my English class the first time around.

Most semesters, I took between 18 and 21 credits. At the beginning, I was overwhelmed and ready to quit school. I had always wanted to be an attorney, but I just couldn't see a pathway forward. Then I met Luz Gamarra, an SLCC advisor, who listened to me. She connected me to financial resources and mapped out how I could graduate from SLCC in one year and transfer to the U of U.

I also got involved in the peer-mentoring program Manos Amigas, and it really helped connect me to others. At the U of U, I finished my bachelor's in Business in 3 semesters. I felt well prepared for the upper-division classes. While there, I started studying for the LSAT and applied for law school. For money, I did remodeling during breaks and baked and sold Guatemalan pan dulce throughout the year.

Now I'm an attorney and specialize in criminal defense and immigration law.

"I had always wanted to be an attorney, but I just couldn't see a pathway forward."

Advice

If you are young, don't do what I did. It took me 13 years to get back to school. My parents were immigrants and had no idea how to help me navigate college. Find a mentor, and if you aren't sure what you want to do, just get started.

To older generations, do what I did. Just go for it. Don't let the fear of being too old hold you back. In law school, some students were on their second or third careers.