Felix

Being a first generation college student, I was not afforded the luxury of learning lessons from those who came before me. Many of my learning experiences came from trial and error, which proved to be a long and difficult process. Those who were fortunate enough to have family members who practiced their desired careers had sources of advantageous advice, but without proper guidance it was easy to go down the wrong path. Not having someone to look to made my ambitions difficult to follow, and having aspirations to practice law seemed more like an unattainable dream.

Through my participation with volunteer organizations I have learned more and more about the flaws within our justice system, making me want to place myself in a position where I can make significant improvements.  With a passion for public interest work, and mentors to help guide me, I aspire to practice intellectual property law.  Currently, I am a third-year student at the City University of New York.  I am maintaining a 3.8 GPA, and I am a dual major in Political Science and Pre-Law.   While pursuing my studies at CUNY, I am also part of the Skadden, Arps Honors Program, a two-year scholarship program for aspiring law school students. 

In my opinion, being an NYNY fellow means dedicating myself to improvement in all ways.  My experience with NYNY so far has helped build my confidence while exposing me to professional environments.  By being part of a group of passionate individuals, I hope to learn invaluable lessons from our Mentor-Coaches, and I look forward to building my relationship with a professional who is as enthusiastic as I am about my own success. I appreciate their advice on how to push ourselves to complete demanding work while pursuing a career, and I feel that our experiences, both successes and failures, will allow us to help others, just as they are doing for us.  Through my hard work and the experience I have throughout this Fellowship, I hope to fully grow and mature as a scholar, young man, and future professional.