Anabel King

Anabel has been recognized on campus with honors and opportunities that acknowledge her grasp of and talent for political science. For example, “I assisted one of my professors with a research project in which we analyzed the effects of congressional seniority on constituent assistance. To me, this was a huge academic achievement, because I never imagined that I would be able to help conduct research, and to be able to do this within my first year gave me the encouragement and passion to accomplish even more.” She became more vocal in the classroom and took advantage of her professors’ office hours, building her professional network.

Anabel has a passion for writing, and has been learning ways to pique the public’s interest in issues that directly impact them. As a reporter for The Triton, “I have written articles on a UC San Diego professor’s campaign for office that received an endorsement from Joe Biden, and unusual mishaps that occurred at UC San Diego on Election Day this November.” But the article that really got her noticed was about the Sixth College laundry thief who stole $2,000 worth of women’s underwear. “The article’s publication garnered so much traffic to our website that it shut down within three hours.”

Anabel has applied her writing skills to her intense interest in the public/political arena through an internship for Senator Kamala Harris, writing eblast updates to constituents on the issues that public officials are working on. She also interns at the San Diego Superior Court in the Family Law Facilitator’s Office, where she assists low-income individuals who can’t afford legal representation, helping them file their cases regarding domestic violence, restraining orders, divorce and child custody.”

Once, when she was helping a family with legal paperwork, a lightbulb flipped on for Anabel. “I noticed that they struggled to understand these forms and they were not able to file their case that day. If I had taken more time to understand their circumstance and situation and assisted them the entire time instead of leaving them for themselves, perhaps they would have finished in time.”

Now she’s thinking beyond graduation. “My professional goal is to be the first in my family to go to law school and eventually practice law. My personal goal is to develop a deeper understanding of the people I want to help. I hope to be able to provide my legal services to those who can’t typically afford it as well as to serve disadvantaged and underrepresented communities in knowing their rights.”