Six California Western School of Law students were honored by San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association this Saturday. The students were recipients of the Latino bar association’s annual scholarship awards.

“San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association has been a constant source of support to Latino students at California Western School of Law,” says Associate Director of Student and Diversity Services Marion Cloete.  “These scholarship awards assist our students financially, and tell them that others in the community believe in their dreams and are walking with them on their journey.”

California Western students receiving the honor are: Hector Bustamante, Mayra Gonzalez, Miguel Marquina, Nicole Mendoza, Agustín Peña, and Rachel Rawes.

Third-year law student and Tijuana native Hector Bustamante attended the University of San Diego where he earned a bachelor’s in political science. Professionally, Bustamante hopes to represent companies in transactional issues, and is particularly interested in contracts and litigation.

Mayra Gonzalez is a second-year law student from Los Angeles. She earned her bachelor’s in sociology from the University of California, San Diego. Gonzalez’s interests are in criminal law and immigration law. She hopes to become a public defender to ensure fair representation to all regardless of socio-economic status. Gonzalez has facilitated community discussions on constitutional rights, represented and mentored juveniles with the alternate public defender, and worked with immigrant victims of domestic violence.

Miguel Marquina is a first-year law student from Cuernavaca, Mexico. He earned his bachelor’s in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley.

Nichole Mendoza is from Stockton, Calif. She is a graduate of San Diego State University with a degree in history and political science. The second-year law student is interested in constitutional law, civil rights law, and alternative dispute resolution. Among her career aspirations are working for the district attorney, becoming a mediator, and earning a doctorate to teach history or constitutional law. Mendoza is currently starting an Alternative Dispute Resolution Club on the California Western campus.

First-year law student Agustín Peña is a San Diego native who attended San Diego State University. He earned a bachelor’s in psychology from the university. Someday he hopes to run his own practice. Peña is co-director of PowerMentor and earned the Teaching Assistant of the Year 2008 award for his work in a county juvenile detention center.

Rachel Rawes is also a first-year law student. She is from Doylestown, Penn. Rawes holds a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. She hopes to be a voice for those in vulnerable populations and work on pregnancy prevention efforts within the Latino community. Rawes has volunteered for Child, Home, & Community as a spokeswoman for teen pregnancy prevention and support for pregnant and parenting teens. She also advocated for integration of the mentally ill and intellectually disabled into the community.

“We are very proud of the accomplishments of our six scholarship winners who are proving themselves to be young leaders with bright futures,” says Cloete. “They embody our mission of graduating lawyers representative of our diverse society.”

Formed in 1979, San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association (SDLRLA) advances the cause of equality, empowerment, and justice for Latino attorneys and the Latino community in San Diego County through service and advocacy. SDLRLA has grown to represent over three hundred Latino and Latina lawyers practicing in San Diego County. SDLRLA is one of 18 affiliate bar associations of the California La Raza Lawyers Association, which serves several thousand Latino lawyers practicing in the State of California.