FJWC Blog Volunteer Feature: Gabriela Lopez Compean

My name is Gabriela López Compeán and I am a student at the University of Houston Law Center. I am from San Luis Potosí, México, and as an immigrant I am passionate about teaching our community about their rights and empowering them to have a lasting impact on our country.I first heard about Fe y Justicia at an event at the Law Center where Laura and an attorney explained the Center's mission and their work. I became very interested in what we do here since I am want to work with the Hispanic community in a public interest capacity once I graduate from law school. At the Center I was assigned cases that allowed me to interact closely with workers and to facilitate negotiation between them and their employers. I was also able to teach the members in some of the workshops and give part of the Charlas where we inform the community about their rights. I have learned about the law and how it affects people on a daily basis. I have also learned the power that an organization like this one has in the education and the promotion of justice for the Hispanic community. It was wonderful to see people who were so happy because we were there willing to help them and it was immensely satisfying to be able to call a worker and tell him or her that they would receive the money they earned.The summer I have spent here has been eye-opening to the hardships of our community which motivate me to continue my involvement. I have learned many skills and improved upon others through the interaction with the workers, the employers, the staff at the center and the other interns. Fighting for justice in our community will continue to be part of my life and I hope to be able to do so alongside the people at Fe y Justicia.FJWC News, Program, NewsVolunteers, Internship. Legal Intern, Students