Lorena Zenteno Villa (LLM '20 | Chile)
Transcript
My main goal in coming here was to take environmental law classes. While I was here, I also had the chance to take courses connected to environmental law, including human rights, which had already been one of my main interests when I was in Chile.
I enrolled in a class with Professor Karima Bennoune, a Special Rapporteur for the United Nations. She gave me the opportunity to accompany her to the United Nations twice when she presented her reports. For me, it was an incredible experience—the first time I had the chance to be involved in official United Nations activities. She introduced me to her staff, which gave me a broad understanding of how the United Nations and her office operate.
During that time, I also had the opportunity to attend an event featuring a Nobel Prize laureate focused on cultural rights. Along with other students, I helped support the event by distributing flyers and speaking with attendees. It was a fascinating experience, and I never imagined I would have such an opportunity.
Coming here changed the way I see the world, human rights, and the people who advocate for them. The experiences felt accessible and transformative, and now I see myself as a new advocate for human rights.
I took these classes at the University of California, Davis.
Transcript
Davis, both as a city and as a university community, is a very supportive environment for families. I want to reassure women who want to continue their studies while raising children that they don’t have to give up that possibility. Davis is a very safe place with a close-knit community, and you can find a lot of support here.
In my experience, I was able to bring my son with me, and it has been a wonderful experience for him as well. He sees that I’m doing something I’m passionate about, and he’s constantly learning new things and making new friends. He’s also learning English, which has been a great benefit.
He attends a bilingual public school where classes are taught in both Spanish and English. About half of his classmates are English speakers and the other half are Spanish speakers. Because of that, the transition was not difficult for him. At first, he spent more time with the Spanish-speaking students, but now all the children spend time together as they learn both languages side by side.
I’m very happy that he attends a public school where he interacts with children from all over the world.