I always knew I would become a lawyer, despite never having met one. Since I was a child, I latched on to the notion that I would be a great attorney, and every step along the way validated that choice. Yet following several years of private practice, I felt lost and unsatisfied. I achieved my lifelong dream and checked off every box on my academic and career to-do list, but still found myself unhappy. I subsequently took a break from work and FBANC and used the opportunity to evaluate my life and career. I have since realized that perhaps my path was never about just practicing law.

Growing up in a town that bore the nickname, “Manila Mesa,” I never sought out the Filipinx community because I was always surrounded by people who shared my culture. When I arrived at UC Berkeley, however, I found myself feeling isolated for the first time. I quickly became enveloped in the world of “Pil Orgs,” and ended up dedicating much of my time to the Pilipinx Academic Student Services, an organization focused on the recruitment and retention of Filipinx-American students in higher education. When I arrived at Berkeley Law, I once again found myself an outsider - with fewer than five Filipinx-American students in the entire school my 1L year, we did not have enough members for a PALS. Instead, I eventually became Co-President of the Asian Pacific American Law Student Association, highlighting my Southeast Asian experiences in the process. This isolation continued as I navigated multiple law firms between New York and San Francisco, often being one of very few Filipinx-American attorneys firm-wide. The linchpin was when I moved back to the Bay Area and Ray Rollan (whom I only knew through our previous lives as dancers) asked me to jump right in and join the FBANC Board - it was in this community where I found my home.

As Co-Director of Professional Development and then Co-Director of Mentorship, I co-hosted panels, organized the mentorship matching process, and co-hosted the inaugural Komunidad Conference in February 2020 and its virtual counterparts from 2020-2021. Collaborating with our law student leaders, many of whom have since graduated and joined the FBANC Board, was exciting as we developed programming tailored to their needs in this first-of-its-kind conference.

As Foundation Treasurer, I ensured the Foundation’s financial stability to award over $32,000 in scholarships. For two years, I proudly helmed our scholarship process where I led a committee of board members and volunteers to review dozens of applications, and kept us organized in the interview and deliberation processes. Hearing the applicants’ inspiring stories and being able to help them realize their dreams through financial aid has been one of the most fulfilling aspects of my FBANC experience.

As Secretary, I am most proud to have helped dream up and bring forth our Bayanihan Stipend, a needs-based stipend for law students and recent graduates experiencing significant economic hardship and immediate monetary need that, if not met, could result in an inability to complete classes, a degree program, a bar preparation course, or the bar exam. The path to becoming an attorney is challenging enough and it felt unfair to have that dream deterred because of an unexpected financial blow. So in a year where we were blessed to have extra funds, we found another way to directly support our community and made a plan to ensure its sustainability.

Unbeknownst to me, my path was about more than becoming an attorney. Rather, my experiences in community organizing, implementing inclusive institutional policies, and mentoring younger lawyers were all tracks making up my broader pathway as a leader of FBANC. If elected, I am ready to weave together all those skills and lessons learned to help FBANC prosper for years to come.

As President-Elect, some of my goals include:

Continue to Ensure Organizational Excellence and Efficient Knowledge Transfer:

As an associate, I prided myself on my strong organization skills. I aim to translate those skills to hone the organizational excellence of our ever-growing non-profit, focusing first on the efficient knowledge transfer of each director and officer during the transition process, identifying the breadth of each position’s most important responsibilities, and building playbooks that set future FBANC leaders up for success.

Maintain and Strengthen Community Relationships:

FBANC has built strong ties with non-profit organizations and other affinity bar associations around the country. As President-Elect, I aim to strengthen these relationships by continuing to support existing partnerships and identifying new opportunities for intersectional collaboration and coalition-building, such as co-hosted events and panels, additional legal clinics and community workshops, and exploring new forms of outreach to reach a broader audience of potential members and allies.

Reconnect With Our Roots to Advance Advocacy:

In a time when learning from our histories is crucial to moving forward, I aim to further bridge the gap from our past to our future. One of my goals as President-Elect would be to explore additional ways to use our collective legal knowledge to further engage our community and advance our society, including exploring a formalized pipeline for political advocacy on the local, state, and federal levels.

I would be honored to have your support. Thank you for your consideration.