Undocumented immigrant. Single mother. Survivor of violence. The barriers of higher education were significant for Ana Rodriguez. Now on the cusp of completing her law degree, she’s become an inspiration and is giving back to her communities.

“I had an incident where I got my residency through the Violence Against Women Act,” Ana says. “As soon as I got that, I hit the ground running. I got into school, and I finished my undergrad a year early and then went straight to law school two weeks later.”

Ana is the recipient of the Joe Sandoval Family Trust Multicultural Affairs Scholarship. She is also the founder of the College of Law First Generation Organization.

“I’m not typical,” Ana says. “In receiving my scholarships, it’s allowed me to go out into the community and do things. As a donor, when you give back it has a triple effect. It’s important. For me it’s rent money. It’s my daughter and I having a place to live. It’s textbooks. It’s food. It means a lot, and it enables me to continue.”