Anissa Mata

As an individual who works in customer service, the skills that I have acquired have impacted my work-life significantly. These skills have made me highly motivated to pursue working continuously, communicating, and being consistent in my work life.

Category A: 

A time where I had questioned a challenge was me growing into my teenage years. Growing up in a low-income family, coming from where poverty meets below the poverty line; advice or encouragement was never given, the only words others had for me and my family were "We were never anything and never will be." The only person who had believed in me was my mother who had always encouraged me to pursue higher education and break free of toxic cycles that kept many trapped. As high school approached my first year a councilor had told me during one of our consultations that I will never graduate high school, and I should drop-out while I can. I had questioned my whole entirety and asked myself if school was even worth it; throughout those four years the motivation of God and my mother had made me a graduate of Franklin High School, class of 2023. I could have listened to the councilor and become every stereotype my family had expected of me; I could have been another teen-mother and be living a lifestyle of obscenities. Instead, I had decided to persevere through adversity and became more knowledgeable about how people will try to define me based on where I come from and what I look like. I can happily say that now I have completed two years at community college where I have worked tirelessly to be admitted into UC Davis, an opportunity I had prayed for has become my reality.

Category B: 

What attending law school means to me, I have many answers to that question but the answer that speaks to me the most is being granted the opportunity to achieve my dreams of being a lawyer. I have always respected the time and dedication of individuals who practice law because the law always changes, it is never fixed, and one must be prepared to adapt at any given moment. I aspire to attend law school because critical thinking in law is significant, I currently work in customer service and one of our mottos is the customer inevitably gets what they want. In certain situations, a customer could be more difficult than the last, so it is especially important to think critically when assisting them and try to deescalate the situation. Inevitably, being a lawyer and working in customer service have similar traits such as communicating, actively listening, negotiation, and showing empathy. Although comparing the two is extremely drastic, we tend to not realize that having such qualities entering law school are extremely important because with experience I have, I can adapt more efficiently in law school while developing strategies to become a licensed lawyer. I have a big passion for law; law is the reason I wanted to attend school to pursue something bigger than myself. I am determined to be given an opportunity to attend law school because I must know that I did something with my life and know that I had worked hard for my future accomplishment.