{"id":17967,"date":"2020-07-28T11:08:14","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T11:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/?p=17967"},"modified":"2023-06-08T18:26:30","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T18:26:30","slug":"alumni-stephanie-chavez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/news\/2020\/07\/28\/alumni-stephanie-chavez","title":{"rendered":"Alumna found UW Bothell and found herself"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Stephanie
Stephanie Chavez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After she graduated from high school in the Washington coastal town of Raymond, Stephanie Chavez was thinking about attending a community college, but her school counselor suggested she apply to universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chavez was accepted at the University of Washington Bothell and another one in the state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI honestly didn\u2019t know where Bothell was,\u201d she now concedes with a laugh. She found Bothell on an online map and figured, \u201cOK, it\u2019s far enough from home but close enough if I want to come back.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, she\u2019s grateful she found not just the right campus location but also the educational experiences and the faculty and staff support that has helped her affirm her identity, showed her how she could make a difference in her community and set her on a path to a career in law. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First-gen, fitting in <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first in her immediate family to graduate from a four-year college, Chavez was born in California but lived in Mexico until she was 10 when her family moved to Raymond. Her parents worked at an oyster cannery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI was in culture shock when I returned to the United States. My school was 70% Caucasian, and no one spoke Spanish. I had difficulty adjusting. To be accepted, I was forced to assimilate to the American culture and deny my Mexican roots and my language,\u201d Chavez said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCollege was very eye-opening for me,\u201d she added. \u201cIt empowered me and equipped me with the skills necessary to be whoever I wanted to be while embracing my culture and language.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chavez majored in Global Studies with a minor in Human Rights and graduated in 2014 from the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences<\/a>. One of her most memorable experiences was a month-long study abroad trip to Zambia. It was led by Senior Lecturer Leslie Ashbaugh, a beloved faculty member who died in 2016. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat experience opened my eyes in ways I never imagined,\u201d said Chavez, recalling her travels through impoverished areas. \u201cThese people had nothing to give you, yet they were willing to give you whatever they had. That was very powerful.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community connections <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In another course that featured community-based learning, Chavez worked at a food bank for Lifelong (formerly the Lifelong AIDS Alliance) in Seattle. \u201cYou were able to see right away the impact you can have by simply volunteering,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the UW Bothell community made her feel that she belonged, Chavez wanted to connect more high school Latinx students to the idea of going to college. To help organize outreach, she founded the Latino Student Union, which has evolved into the Latinx Student Union. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important to hear from people who look like you,\u201d she said. \u201cIt goes back to trying to find a place you belong and feel comfortable.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Chavez also connected to campus herself through multiple jobs. She worked four years in the School of Business office and remains in touch with her supervisor Marci Myers. Chavez worked a year with the Office of Admissions on diversity initiatives. And she worked four years at a restaurant on Main Street in Bothell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Career building <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since graduating six years ago, Chavez has worked as a paralegal or assistant for private law firms that practice immigration, personal injury and family law. She also has worked for nonprofits that help underrepresented communities. One job as a housing counselor for El Centro de la Raza in Seattle helped people move into Habitat for Humanity homes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About two years ago, Chavez started working at Microsoft. She is an executive business administrator in the Corporate, External and Legal Affairs department. She became a lead member of the Pro Bono Steering Committee and helped organize Microsoft\u2019s first volunteering trip to a Texas immigration detention center to help detained mothers and children. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chavez also is director of legal clinics for the Latina\/o Bar Association of Washington. She sets up monthly virtual clinics where volunteer lawyers offer free assistance in family law, immigration, employment and landlord-tenant issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEach experience has helped me grow professionally and prepared me for my next opportunity,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Working toward a goal <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This summer, Chavez started law school at Seattle University. While continuing to work full time at Microsoft, she expects to graduate in 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She says that it’s been an adjustment finding time for everything but that she\u2019s getting back in the rhythm of hard work and school. \u201cWhen you know you have to do something, you find a way,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Longer term, Chavez plans to work as an immigration attorney on decriminalization policy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI feel my UW Bothell experience empowered me to contribute to the community and make a difference in someone\u2019s life,\u201d said Chavez, who no longer is the only one in her family to graduate from the University. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her sister Jennifer Chavez graduated from UW Bothell in June with a degree in Law, Economics & Public Policy. She is starting a job with the Los Angeles Police Department with the goal of working for the FBI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sisters already have a college recommendation in mind for a younger brother.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stephanie Chavez (Global Studies ’14) says the University of Washington Bothell affirmed her identity, showed her how to make a difference in her community and started her career in law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[209,202,200],"tags":[],"school":[419],"class_list":["post-17967","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-alumni","category-campus-news","category-profiles","school-school-of-ias"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":null,"link_2":null,"link_3":null,"link_4":null,"link_5":null},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":null,"button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"\nAlumna found UW Bothell and found herself - 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