MENTOR NETWORK
Alison Salazar '19
She/Her/Hers
Los Angeles, CA
Oxy Major/Minor:
UEP & Politics, Latino/a and Latin American Studies
Current Company:
Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
Current Position:
Legal Fellow
Campus Involvement/Special Programs:
Latinx Student Union, Oxy Radio
Secondary Schooling:
N/A
Favorite MP/Cooler Food:
Curry lentil soup and green tea ice cream
Best Oxy Class:
Community Organizing and Leadership
Groups I Identify With:
Latinx, first-gen
Bio:
I was raised in Boyle Heights and witnessed first hand the disadvantages that my community faced. My passion for social justice came from my family’s personal experiences with poverty, immigration, and unjust laws. At Oxy, I learned to better understand inequity in low-income communities of color. As a student worked with several non-profit organizations in housing, environmental justice, and immigration. Today I work as a legal immigration service provider and assist clients with their naturalization and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) application processes. My goals is to continue learning how our (broken) immigration system works in order to better assist community members in various capacities.
Career Advice:
Take risks and seek opportunities that will promote professional and personal growth. Even when doing work that you love, prioritize yourself and remember to care for your physical and mental health. Advocate for yourself and ensure that your working conditions are adequate and just.