On January 30th, 2015, I stood, bewildered in the woods, asking myself, “Why are they looking for his body? He’s alive!” As I fell into the frigid snow, I felt my whole world turn upside down. As I slowly looked up, the frosty trees appeared to be blurry, as if time was going by extremely slowly. I told myself, “I need to bring him back home,” and resumed back into reality. That was the last time I felt hopeful for my big brother’s return. The following day, his body was found murdered in the opposite direction of where my family, friends, and I were all searching. Vicente Mundo is his name and it is the motivation behind the change I will achieve as a criminal prosecutor.
As a Hispanic woman, growing up on the south side of Chicago was a challenge, to say the least. My neighborhood in which my family and I have lived in for twenty years is referred to as the back of the yards. I grew up in constant fear of something happening to my family. As a little girl, I grew up seeing bodies in the street, hearing gunshots every few days, police sirens sounding me constantly.
I had a big brother, Vicente, who always protected me and ensured I was safe. He and I were going to represent the minority voice in our legal careers. Though I lost my mentor, it only drives me to be the change that the criminal justice system needs.