American dream still alive in N.M.
Mentors guide immigrant teen mom on path to become a law school grad
Not so long ago, it seemed to Mabel Arellanes that she had as much chance of becoming an attorney as she did of leading a team of explorers to Mars.
The time, talent, money and commitment it takes to graduate from law school can intimidate almost anyone. “Being an attorney was not part of my plan,” she said one recent day.
Arellanes’ story is about the power of the human spirit and the gift of friendship. It’s also proof that the melting pot of New Mexico still makes room for American dreams. Arellanes was about 6 years old when she moved to Santa Fe with her mother. They came from Chihuahua, Mexico. For Arellanes, childhood meant starting fresh in a new country.
She was a gifted student, but her life changed suddenly at Capital High School. Pregnant at 15, she dropped out and gave birth to a son, Jeffrey.
In that time of uncertainty, she found employment and encouragement. Santa Fe attorney Linda Hemphill hired Arellanes to work as a receptionist in her office.
They met in a circular way. Hemphill’s husband owned a construction company. He had worked with Arellanes’ boyfriend, who’s now her husband. Even as a teenager, Arellanes showed the kind of promise that convinced Hemphill to give her a chance. “I just thought she was a superstar of a person,” Hemphill said.
Working for an attorney opened up the world for Arellanes. The bustle of casework, the importance of serving clients and watching an accomplished woman go about her practice were all new territory. Arellanes says Hemphill also encouraged her to do what many teen mothers won’t — drop back in to school.
And so Arellanes returned to Capital High. As a parent without proof of immigration status, she also became active in Santa Fe’s immigrant advocacy organization, Somos Un Pueblo Unido. At Somos, Arellanes met another strong role model in Marcela Diaz, the agency’s executive director. Poised, dedicated and educated in the Ivy League, Diaz was leading an effort in the New Mexico Legislature for a bill to prohibit denial of education benefits based on immigration status. At stake were in-state tuition rates for thousands of students.
Arellanes joined the movement. Diaz says she became one of the organization’s tireless workers.
One day, after legislators had approved the bill, Arellanes and others saw then-Gov. Bill Richardson in the Capitol. They rushed over, lobbying him to sign the measure. He did. New Mexico is among 20 states that have approved legislation or administrative policies offering in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants.
Because of Diaz, Arellanes understood that serious people worked those Capitol hallways and knocked on the doors of those in power. Arellanes’ path became surer. She graduated from Capital High in 2006 and decided to enroll at The University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Making the move was “the scariest thing I have ever done,” Arellanes said.
Hard work can help conquer fear. Arellanes earned her bachelor’s degree, graduating magna cum laude in English and political science. By then, neither her husband nor her son were sur- prised that law school was in her sights.
She won a competitive threeyear scholarship, $5,000 annually, to attend law school at UNM. The scholarship she received is named in honor of Patricio Serna, a retired justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court. He became her mentor for law school.
Even with a legal heavyweight in her corner, Arellanes said, stress consumed her in the first semester. She literally collapsed under the pressure. “My husband found me unconscious on the floor,” she said.
A brain injury that occurred when she blacked out inhibited her short-term memory. But she stayed in law school, meeting in person with Serna every two weeks as she studied.
“She worked so hard,” Serna said. “It was a joy mentoring her. She’s become part of our family.”
Arellanes graduated from law school in December. She studied nonstop for the bar exam and passed it on her first try in an era of diminishing scores and increased failures.
And last week, at age 30, Arellanes was admitted to the State Bar of New Mexico. State Supreme Court Justice Barbara Vigil swore her in.
A shadow of doubt had lingered over the proceedings. Arellanes is not a U.S. citizen, nor does she have permanent legal residency. Her protection under a federal program for immigrants who arrived as children and have lived upstanding lives had ended, she said.
Maureen Sanders, an attorney for Arellanes, said Arellanes is authorized to work lawfully in the United States. That meant Arellanes met the bar association’s requirements for admission. The bar association staff said it could not comment on any specific case, other than to say Arellanes had met all qualifications and been admitted.
Arellanes is employed as a clerk in the Law Offices of the Public Defender in Albuquerque. Ever conscious of her roots, she wants to pursue a career in immigration law.
“She’s going to make a positive difference in the community,” Serna said.
Reality hasn’t quite sunk in for Arellanes. “To be honest, I still can’t believe it,” she said.
Many people gave generously of themselves so she could succeed. Their help has humbled her. “It really has taken a village,” she said.