SLSI 2022 Cohort
Oneyda Ayala
Oneyda Ayala (she/her/hers) is an undergraduate student at the University of Florida studying Economics with a minor in Sociology. Her academic experiences, paired with her upbringing in a political family (local government), fostered her passions for law and government, community building, and civic engagement. In Spring 2022, she served as a legislative intern in the Florida Senate. Her time in the Florida legislature reaffirmed her aspirations to work in public office, where she plans to advocate for first-generation students. Oneyda also intends to practice as a public interest attorney. Her fields of interest include criminal justice, education, and immigration.
Connor Barrett
Connor Barrett (he/him/his) is a junior at Swarthmore College majoring in Economics, Sociology & Anthropology, and Education. At Swarthmore, Connor serves as Student-Body Class President, coordinator for Dare 2 Soar (tutoring in Chester, PA), and a core member of the FLI Council (First-Generation, Low-Income). He is interested in helping survivors of sexual/domestic violence and researching the Black diaspora broadly, earning a Mellon Mays Fellowship and a Lang Opportunity Scholarship to further entangle this relationship through research and community-based work. After graduating, he hopes to obtain a joint Ph.D. in African American Studies and a J.D.
Tracey Do
Tracey Do (she/her/hers) is a Vietnamese-American born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. She is a first-generation college student attending Northeastern University. Tracey is a rising senior finishing up her degree in Criminal Justice with minors in Law and Public Policy, and Argumentation and Law. She hopes to become an attorney in order to alleviate racial discrimination and injustice in the criminal justice system. Prior to this program, she interned at the Brookline Police Department as the firearms licensing intern, and in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts under the Defensive Litigation and Affirmative Civil Enforcement units. When she is not studying and working, Tracey is watching or playing basketball, or cooking.
Kardelen Ergul
Kardelen Ergul (she/her/hers) is a rising junior at Emory University in Georgia, double majoring in Political Science and Economics on the pre-law track. In addition to her involvement in different school organizations such as the Student Government, Model UN and the Wheel, she serves as the Attorney General on the Phi Alpha Delta’s executive board. In Kardelen’s free time, she enjoys exploring new places and completing her yearly reading challenge.
Wyatt Hammond
Wyatt Hammond (he/him/his) is from Teaneck, New Jersey. He is currently attending Temple University as a Legal Studies major, with a Psychology minor, at the Fox School of Business. Wyatt is an aspiring defense attorney, but above all, he aspires to fight for equal legal fairness in regards to minorities in America. Wherever that leads him, only time will tell.
Pilli Jaquez
Pilli Jaquez (she/they) is a rising junior at Occidental College, studying Sociology and History, with a particular interest in Indigenous, immigrant and queer communities and identities.
At Occidental, Pilli serves as an Equity Ambassador at the college’s Intercultural Community Center, where she works to support programming dedicated to students with marginalized identities. She has also worked for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, as a data analyst, the Tzicatl Community Development Corporation as a paraeducator, and a lead juror for the Los Angeles Teen Court.
Upon completing her undergraduate studies, Pilli aims to pursue a law degree that will take her into the field of immigration law, where she can continue her advocacy and support for her family, community, and beyond.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez (she/her/hers) is from Chicago, Illinois, and she is currently a rising sophomore at Washington University in St. Louis, double majoring in Sociology and Economics. At school, Jennifer likes to be involved with the association of Latin American students and help put together the annual cultural show, Carnaval. She also loves spending time with family and friends, exploring new restaurants, and being outdoors. Jennifer is very excited and honored to be forming part of the first cohort of SLSI students and cannot wait to see how much she will learn about the legal field from the Stanford law faculty and her peers during the program.
Tamia Rene Mitchell
Tamia Rene Mitchell (she/her/hers) is an aspiring divorce lawyer from Randolph, New Jersey. She has dreams of becoming the first lawyer in her family and is a first generation college student on her father’s side of the family. Tamia is determined to be a lawyer for underrepresented groups of people, and is excited to build her career in the legal field. In her free time, Tamia is constantly keeping up with current events to expand her knowledge in various social and political topics in hopes of becoming an inspiration to other black girls and women in the future.
Luis Moros
Luis Moros (he/him/his) left Venezuela for Miami with his mom when he was only 14 years old and faced homelessness, a language barrier, and an unknown educational system. As of today, Luis works with policymakers in the nation’s capital towards a more civic-engaged community and effective immigration policies. As a leader of two key Florida International University initiatives: FIU in Washington D.C. and the Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership, he aims to help other immigrants achieve their dreams, just like he did.
During his five years in the United States, Luis has become an effective communicator, strong advocate for human rights, education, and immigration and has worked and conducted research with reputable think tanks and non-profits, including with the U.S House of Representatives within the Chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee, the Cato Institute, the Organization of American States, and the Bipartisan Policy Center.
Luis is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy, including certificates in Pre-Law and Civic Leadership at Florida International University.
Morgan Kinuthia Njeri
Morgan Kinuthia Njeri (he/him/his) from Kiambu, Kenya, is pursuing a B.A. in Economics and Legal Studies at Hardin-Simmons University, where he also worked as an enrollment counselor overseeing applications from Africa. Before coming to the United States, he interned at the EducationUSA Advising Center in Nairobi and helped coordinate Kenya’s successful college preparatory initiative.
Morgan has a keen interest in Public Interest Law and he aspires to achieve social progress through litigation. As a nominee for the Texas Civic Ambassadors program, he is in contention for a fellowship that would enable him to advocate for diverse juries as a means of addressing implicit bias in the criminal justice system.
Olivia Northcutt-Wyly
Olivia Northcutt-Wyly (they/them) is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Southern California. Currently, they are pursuing a B.S in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Olivia also teaches policy, debate, and speech in both the U.S. and China. Olivia is interested in public policy and law. During their free time, Olivia enjoys the company of their German Shepherd, Roxie, cooking and swimming.
Paulina Mendoza
Paulina Mendoza (she/her/hers) is from Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora; a native Spanish speaker and the oldest of four children. She is a rising senior at American University and a CLEG major (Communications, Legal Institutions, Economics, and Government) with a minor in Legal Studies and will complete a Spanish translation certification. Paulina’s first exposure to the U.S. legal system came from her upbringing in the border town of Nogales, Arizona, where she was a first-hand witness to the stagnancy in immigration law and the towering language and economic barriers faced by immigrants. Because of this experience, it has been Paulina’s goal to become a lawyer since a young age. She is incredibly excited to be part of the first Stanford Law Scholars Institute and is looking forward to contributing to the mission of the program.
Denizcan Ozdemir
Denizcan Ozdemir (he/him/his) is from New York City and is a rising sophomore at Columbia University where he is studying political science and human rights. Inspired by the work he has done in local politics and history education, Denizcan hopes to build a career centered around empowering the voices of individuals in his community and beyond by becoming an attorney. Denizcan’s ultimate goal in all of his academic and professional endeavors is to understand the ways government, politics, the law, and history intersect to shape our understanding of modern issues and how to solve them.
Zenayah Roaché
Zenayah Roaché (she/her/hers) is an undergraduate student at Columbia University studying Urban Studies with a specialization in Political Science. Alongside her academic studies, Zenayah’s firsthand experiences with inequities such as homelessness and district zoning fuel her passion for public policy and social justice. She is currently developing a podcast called "Out of Place, Out of Home" that focuses on empowering the voices of young people experiencing homelessness, or who have experienced homelessness like herself, and restoring their agency. While that is in progress, Zenayah also looks to be involved with other activists focusing on the effects of zoning, the importance of rehabilitation during adolescence, and incarceration. Zenayah is looking forward to a career in public policy, followed by attending law school and becoming a public interest and/or civil rights lawyer.
Blaine Samson
Blaine Samson (she/her/hers) is a rising junior at Rice University in Houston, Texas, where she is double majoring in Philosophy and Social Policy Analysis. Although Blaine now resides in H-town, southern California is home—and it's where she first explored law by joining her high school's mock trial team; there, she learned the value of advocation and applied this skill to various mentorship and civic outreach programs. Blaine is beyond excited to be a part of SLSI's inaugural class and looks forward to engaging with this community as she heads to law school and beyond.
Mehreen Shahid
Mehreen Shahid (she/her/hers) is currently a rising sophomore at Swarthmore College where she is majoring in Biology and double minoring in Arabic and Peace and Conflict studies. Although she was born in Chicago to Pakistani parents, she has lived in Tanzania her whole life, and therefore is fluent in English, Swahili, and Urdu. Mehreen enjoys traveling, playing badminton, and planning events for various on-campus groups. This summer, she is working at the Marjorie Kovler Center, a Chicago-based program of Heartland Alliance International, that provides survivors of torture with opportunities to heal, access justice, and rebuild their lives with dignity. Mehreen aspires to become a pharmaceutical patent lawyer as she is motivated to use pharmaceutical law to eradicate unjust incarcerations.
Moira Tañedo
Moira Tañedo (she/her/hers) is a rising junior, Media Arts & Culture (MAC) major and Critical Theory & Social Justice (CTSJ) minor, at Occidental College (Oxy). As a Filipino immigrant, Moira has first hand experience with the immigration and legal systems. Through her work as a Public Ally with the New Mexico Asian Family Center and translator with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles, Moira has supported and led efforts for immigrant communities, particularly immigrant youth. Through her current studies at Oxy, Moira has written and developed both academic and creative works that discuss Filipino diasporic, immigrant, and queer identity. Postgrad, she hopes to continue weaving together her love for community and creativity to continue supporting her fellow kapwa and kababayan–creatively and legally.
Sabreen Tuku
Sabreen Tuku (she/her/hers) is an incoming junior studying Political Science with the intended major of Race and Law at the University of California, Berkeley. Sabreen is a community organizer and activist, and started her journey in the seventh grade where she catalyzed community sustainability with a focus on her school district and the Muslim community. She has since grown in her organizing both on a local and national scale in the climate justice movement. Sabreen is also the Co-Founder of #SayHerName: Protect Black Women and currently serves as a Co-Federal Deputy Director in the University of California, Berkeley’s External Affairs Vice President's office.
Kyran Williams-Roberts
Kyran Williams-Roberts (he/him/his) is a Starkville, Mississippi, native, and is currently studying Public Policy Analysis at Duke University. Throughout his studies, Kyran has developed a passion for learning about policy and the various ways in which it impacts people. Numerous experiences have helped him understand the importance and necessity of fiercely advocating for justice and equality for all people, especially those who are marginalized in society. Kyran is excited to learn more about the American legal system and engage in a community that believes in advocating for justice and protecting the civil rights of all.
Isidro Zuniga Vazquez
Isidro Zuniga Vazquez (he/him/his) is a rising junior double majoring in Political Science and Spanish at the University of Southern California. As the son of Mexican immigrants, Isidro’s upbringing showed him the inequities Latinos face in America—particularly in the legal field. In the near future, Isidro sees himself becoming a passionate attorney who fights for minorities and advocates for equal representation in the criminal justice system.