Meet CRLA’s 2026 Undergraduate Summer Intern Cohort
These bright and passionate undergraduate students spent their summer with us thanks in part to the Jose Padilla Fellowship Fund. Learn about how their time with our community has shaped their professional and individual growth and furthered our collective impact.
Q: Share a project that you worked on and what you gained from it:
Juan: “I am currently working on a policy research project regarding environmental justice in unincorporated communities and the community I was assigned to work on happens to be my neighborhood in Rouse-Colorado. It has been an immersive experience that has allowed me to gain an understanding of environmental issues in order to come up with actionable solutions based on data, established laws, community outreach, and lived experiences to improve the conditions of a long overlooked area."
Rowan: “I'm currently drafting a U visa declaration, and the process of working directly with a client using interpretation, developing my trauma-informed interviewing skills, and learning the nuances of the U visa application has been and continues to be incredibly rewarding."
Q: What was your favorite moment throughout this internship and why?
Juan: “My favorite moment was definitely the team-bonding at Graceada Park in Modesto as it allowed me to see a sillier side of this group of hard-working people and talk to them a little more informally."
Rowan: “Maybe this is recency bias, but I really enjoyed getting to know my fellow interns and coworkers better at the luncheon in Modesto yesterday."
Q: How did your supervisor and this internship impact your professional growth?
Juan: “My supervisor, Chelsea, has inspired me to continue pursuing law school with the goal to continue to serve marginalized communities in places like CRLA. I have gained a sense of my capabilities within working in the legal-field and I know that this is something that I want."
Rowan: "The community lawyering model has totally altered my understanding of the ways in which the law can be leveraged to advance social justice, and Norma has been a wonderful guide as I've strengthened my legal research/writing and client communication skills."
Q: What are your plans post-internship?
Juan: "My plans post-internship are to start applying to legal-related jobs! My hope is to work for CRLA, but I would be happy anywhere that allows me to do legal work."
Rowan: "Tentatively, I'm planning to attend law school, with a focus on removal defense or impact litigation."
Q: Fill in the blank: "I will miss ________ the most."
Juan: "I will miss the Unincorporated Community Justice Program team the most."
Rowan: "I will miss my team members and their collaborative generosity the most."
