Jennifer Maldonado<br/>Class of 2013<br/>For Herself, For Her Family<br/>

For Herself, For Her Family

Jennifer Maldonado is a first generation American who came to appreciate the law and order of this country at a young age. She spent her early years traveling back and forth to El Salvador with her parents, where she observed a lot of social unrest and the aftermath of a civil war. While reading a newspaper article with her dad, he defined for her what a lawyer is and can do. She decided then and there, at age seven, that she would grow up and be an attorney.

“Everyone who knows me, knows it has been my lifelong dream to become an attorney,” said Jennifer. “I was seven and I was sure that I would grow up to be a lawyer. The concepts of justice and service resonated with me and set me on my path that led me here to Touro Law Center.”

Jennifer worked hard through high school to get into her college of choice. While at the University of Scranton, she worked multiple part-time jobs, which included an internship at a law firm while maintaining her high GPA with a major, a concentration and a minor. She took advantage of every opportunity to learn and gain exposure to a career in the field of law, all with her eyes on the prize: law school. After graduation, Jennifer took one step closer to achieving her dream by applying to law school, hoping to attend Touro Law. Now, she is a Touro Law graduate looking forward to a bright future.

Jennifer’s family has all worked together to help achieve her dream.  They have supported her, made sacrifices for her and could not be more proud. They look forward to their daughter’s future. At a young age, they taught her the definition of a lawyer, taught her the value of hard work and taught her that she is capable of achieving her dreams.

“My family is my rock. We all work together to build each other up and help each other out. I am not only realizing this dream for myself, but for them as well,” said Jennifer. “I am working hard not only to ensure that I achieve success, but also to make my family proud and be an example for others, especially my younger sister. I hope others realize that anything is possible, any dream is attainable and that you should always believe in yourself.”

She is now a Touro Law graduate, with incredible hands-on learning experiences along the way. After her first year at Touro Law, Jennifer earned a summer internship with the New York City Law Department. During the summer after her second year of law school, Jennifer interned for the Honorable Arthur D. Spatt in the Eastern District of New York across the street from the school. She earned that position through the competitive Joint Minority Bar Judicial Internship Program. Jennifer has worked as a Teacher’s Assistant and Research Assistant while at Touro Law and is was a senior staff member on the Touro Law Review.

The future certainly looks bright for Jennifer. Her family is proud of her and she is determined to continue to make them proud and achieve her childhood dream.

“I remind myself to keep an open mind about the future, keep my feet on the ground and keep my head in the game,” said Jennifer. “I need to stay focused. I think when all is said and done, I may shed a tear at graduation about how far I’ve come and how lucky I am to be living this dream. For now, I’m going to work hard, study hard and hope for the best.”