“I was born in the Philippines, where I lived in both middle class and low-income neighborhoods. I witnessed first hand how different the lives of the poor are from the rest of the country. This gave me a passion for helping those less fortunate than me. Then when I was five, I moved to California.

While I was an undergraduate, I volunteered in Panama with lawyers who were trying to increase the availability of legal services in rural communities. I saw how access to legal help can change someone’s life and lift them out of poverty. It was then that I realized I wanted to go into public interest law. I found Open Door Legal through my school website. Their work was a continuance of what I did as an undergraduate. It was a perfect fit.

I work as a legal intern on the housing team. Having that opportunity to see the nitty-gritty of housing in San Francisco and what it takes to help people means so much to me.

I once saw some clients come in who had already been evicted– seeing the need and the lack of outside resources first hand reinforced my belief in the fight for universal access. I’ve always wanted to do law, but working here justified my choices and gave me a reason to practice it. I’m really grateful.”

Photography © Kimberly Pye