Leigh-Anna, 27 years old, NY

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Leigh-Anna entered foster care as a teenager and experienced multiple placements until she found a family friend who became her supportive foster parent. After graduating high school, she faced homelessness due to limited support from children's services. Determined to build an independent life, she is passionate about advocating for youth aging out of foster care and migrant families,

Leigh-Anna dreams of becoming a lawyer. This aspiration has driven her to attend law school, where she has been studying for the past four years. However, she has reached the maximum limit for student loans. Unfortunately, the only family support she has is from her mother, and because she does not have a relationship with her father, neither of them is eligible to apply for additional loans. Leigh-Anna is on track to graduate a semester early from the four-year part-time program at CUNY Law, earning her Juris Doctorate. This early graduation will allow her to save money for bar preparation courses and living expenses while she studies for both the New York and California bar exams. As a first-generation college and law school student—and the first lawyer in her family—financial support would greatly alleviate the high costs associated with becoming a licensed attorney.