Support Nayla Paredes' Journey to Law School

Hello! My name is Nayla Paredes, and I was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas, to Mexican immigrant parents who have sacrificed so much for me to dream freely in the United States. As a result of these great sacrifices, I have graduated from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, where I completed two bachelor's degrees in mass communications and political science.

On Christmas Eve at age 10, my father met with a couple, whom he signaled to follow us home to retrieve their lost passports we had found. As we parked, a woman lunged out of their car yelling, “I am the police! I am here to arrest you for extortion.” I panicked and raced to my room, pleading, “Dear God, please don’t let them take my parents away.” My prayers failed, and on Christmas morning, I watched my parents humiliated in court while my sister used her hard-earned Army bonus to pay their $5,000 bail. A year later, at their arraignment, my parents stood on the verge of conviction as their accusers’ lies overruled their pleas. Thankfully, the case was dismissed due to insufficient evidence, but I was left with a strong hurt in my heart.

It was both the experience of helplessness in my parents’ case and the Godly love that I have for others that sparked a passion within me to fight for the rights of innocent individuals suffering injustice. The cases I was exposed to while serving at non-profit organizations disheartened me, leading to the realization that my community needs attorneys to create change in the Rio Grande Valley. As a result, I have decided to pursue a career as an international human rights lawyer. To prepare for this position, after law school, I hope to return to Brownsville and work as a criminal law attorney, assisting people like my parents who have been wrongly accused.

I have been accepted and will matriculate into the Louisiana State University Law Center this Fall 2025. Moreover, to prepare for this amazing, academically arduous journey, I applied and have been accepted into the highly competitive CLEO Pre-Law School Institute at Penn State Dickinson Law School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, this summer. At this moment, I am the only person working part-time in my family. Because of this, I cannot pay for the institute dues, my travel to and from Pennsylvania, or my travel to LSU Law for the fall semester. My goal is to raise $5,000 to pay for these expenses and I would be honored to receive your support. Thank you and God Bless!