Alexandra Sarkis

Lucky high heels can only take you so far. Just ask Alexandra. They were with her throughout her high school Academic Decathlon competitions, her internship with a California state senator, her orientation leader interviews, and more. Basically, every major moment in her life. Until they broke. The Eleanor Roosevelt College and Political Science major was heading to her Supreme Court and Constitutional Law class where she was presenting her case in front of 120 of her peers when the untimely incident occurred. In the end, Alexandra “won” her case. “That’s when I realized that I was no longer the shy quiet girl who questioned herself. I realized that I had become a strong, independent woman who could present her case to a class of 120 students. My biggest accomplishment is the transformation I have experienced. After that day I knew that I could conquer any challenge that awaits me and that my lucky shoes broke because I no longer needed them. I feel ready and confident to continue my studies, go to law, and become the attorney I know I can become.

As a first-generation college student whose mother and father immigrated from Mexico and Egypt respectively, Alexandra experienced first-hand what the representation of a pro-bono attorney meant to her low-income parents after her father suffered life-altering medical complications from surgery. “If it weren’t for the help of the attorney who took our case pro-bono, my father would not have obtained legal representation and justice for his case,” Alexandra shared. As a result, her desire is to work as a public interest attorney who is culturally sensitive to the needs of her community even though it could mean sacrificing a more lucrative corporate law position. “Knowing that I made a difference in my Chula Vista community will ultimately be the most gratifying thing I can do.”

During spring break 2019, Alexandra went on a service trip to Catalina Island through Eleanor Roosevelt College’s college writing program called Making of the Modern World (MMW). The experience taught her something that no other MMW class lecture had: “that we are all humans in this world and connected to something bigger than us.” How has it impacted her? “I like to think of myself as a global scholar and citizen with the purpose of helping the world.” As a result, she has taken part in ERC’s Human Trafficking Awareness Workshop and sought opportunities to engage with the world. “The basic idea that everyone is human and deserving of human dignity has and will continue to inform my work and career choices in the future.”