Raised by two immigrant parents, Paola was the first in her family to graduate from a 4-year university. During her attendance at University of California, Riverside, Paola pursued a B.S. in Anthropology and a minor in Political Science to satisfy her interests of learning about different cultures. At UC Riverside, Paola became a founder of Legends Community Service Group where the group participates in service events and operates an afterschool tutoring program for underprivileged high school students. Post-university, Paola has been working with Towards Maximum Independence, a non-profit organization, to provide services and to advocate for the disabled community. Through education and experience, Paola has become a believer of basic human rights, an advocate of breaking various societal barriers, and she has adopted a critical perspective that has helped her further understand her surroundings and the communities she’s a part of. In the future, Paola hopes she is able to provide resources, knowledge, and opportunities to underrepresented and disadvantaged communities.