<div>My name is Sandra Guzmán, and I am a first-generation Latina, UC Irvine School of Law graduate, and immigrant-rights advocate.
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<div><br />
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<div>I came to this country at 14 years old after my father suffered a stroke that left him permanently disabled and unable to care for me. I had already experienced abandonment earlier in my childhood, so when I arrived in the United States, I did so without family support and without anyone to guide me through school, immigration issues, or basic needs. I spent my teenage years navigating the world largely on my own, learning how to survive, how to advocate for myself, and how to build a life without the safety nets most people rely on.
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<div><br />
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<div>Those experiences shaped the advocate I am today and the purpose that guides my work.
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<div><br />
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<div>After taking the 2025 July Bar, I served as a Rapid Response Law Fellow at a nonprofit in the Bay Area, where I supported community members suddenly arrested by ICE—many fleeing gender-based violence, abandonment, or cartel-related threats. I advocated for families in crisis, argued my first bond hearing, requested ankle-monitor removals, drafted urgent filings, and stood in front of ICE on behalf of people whose stories echoed my own.
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<div><br />
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<div>Stepping into those spaces felt like a turning point. After years of being the person who once needed an attorney to advocate for me in court, I became the one advocating for others. And almost everyone I worked with told me the same thing: you will be able to do even more once you’re licensed.
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<div><br />
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<div>I believe that, too.
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<div><br />
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<div><strong>Where things stand now</strong>
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<div><br />
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<div>I sat for the July 2025 California Bar Exam, but I did not pass. I have already registered for the February 2026 exam, paid all bar-related fees, and paid for Adaptibar and other study materials.
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<div><br />
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<div>The previous $2,060 raised through this fundraiser helped me cover the July exam period—including materials, transportation, and basic living expenses. I am deeply grateful for that support.
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<div><br />
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<div>However, I recently experienced an unexpected job loss. That has created a financial gap at the exact moment when I need stability to prepare again.
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<div>I want to be clear:
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<div>I am not asking previous donors to give again.
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<div>I know I’ve already asked a lot from this community.
</div>
<div><br />
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<div>If you are in a position to help, what I need support with now are basic living expenses during the study period:
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<div><br />
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<ul>
<li>Rent and utilities
</li>
<li>Groceries
</li>
<li>Transportation
</li>
<li>Phone/Wi-Fi
</li>
<li>Cat food and essentials
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
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<div>These are the costs that allow me to stay housed, fed, and focused as I prepare for February.
</div>
<div><br />
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<div>What your support makes possible
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<div><br />
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<div>Passing the bar will allow me to represent immigrant communities with:
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<div><br />
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<ul>
<li>lived experience
</li>
<li>cultural fluency
</li>
<li>trauma-informed practice
</li>
<li>and the commitment of someone who has walked this path herself
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Your support is not just an investment in me—it’s an investment in the kind of advocate I am becoming, and in a legal profession that includes people with lived experience of the systems they work to change.
</div>
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<div><strong>Other ways to support: </strong>
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<div><br />
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<div>If donating isn’t possible, you can still help in meaningful ways:
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<ul>
<li>Share this fundraiser with your networks
</li>
<li>Forward it to mentors, colleagues, or community members who may want to support
</li>
<li>Sponsor a specific expense (rent, groceries, phone bill, utilities, cat food, etc.)
</li>
<li>Send a note of encouragement—it truly helps
</li>
</ul>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Thank you for helping me keep going, especially during this difficult transition.
</div>
<div><br />
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<div><strong>Thank you for believing in me.</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
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<div><strong>And thank you for standing with me as I work toward passing the California Bar in February.</strong>
</div>
<div><br />
</div>
<div>Con cariño y fuerza,
</div>
<div>Sandra K. Guzmán
</div>

Brijesh Singh

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Yoxira Espinoza

Yvonne Ballesteros

Esmeralda Suarez

Duane Beasley

Eric Stern

Anna Setyaeva

Anonymous

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Natalie Maust

Perla Ramos

Luis Rodriguez

Violeta Velazquez

From Undocumented to Advocate: Help me Pass the 2025 Bar

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Just $813$ to go! Make an impact.

From Undocumented to Advocate: Help me Pass the 2025 Bar

Just $813 to go!
Make an impact.