My father traveled from Mexico to Illinois as an immigrant worker in the late 1940s. He initially worked in the fields and laid railroad track. Thanks to a chance encounter and eventual friendship with a generous man who liked the Spanish language, my father became a US resident and was able to secure a job with John Deere. He rose from assembling tractor tires to translating their operating manuals. The family returned to Mexico, but my father’s work for John Deere provided us with a middle-class upbringing. My mother was passionate about education. She aggressively pursued scholarships for us so we could receive a good education.
My childhood was challenging, but amazing people touched my life. I was transformed from a fearful girl with no self-esteem into a determined and passionate woman who changed the course of her life. An opportunity to travel to San Diego at 19 revealed a new world, and I decided to stay. There was no putting the genie back in the bottle. With support from family, friends and mentors, I became a wife, a mother and a lawyer and, later, a partner in the largest law firm in the world.
I have been involved in many causes, but I knew I wanted to find my true passion and focus on one thing. The day I saw the movie Slumdog Millionaire, I realized that, although I had faced a lot of challenges, I was given the opportunity to develop to my full potential. I knew then that I wanted to devote all of my resources to help give every little girl the chance to do the same and to have an impact in turn on her children, her family, her community and the world.
Although I have had a great career and done well financially, I have never considered myself wealthy. I didn’t really understand my own capacity to make a BIG + bold gift. I made a commitment that is financially challenging for me because the need is so great, the people committed to the cause are amazing, and I believe that now is the time to create lasting change. The gentleman who sponsored my father’s residence could have never imagined the cascading impact he had on my father, my family and all of those who, directly and indirectly, will benefit from my ability to boldly support women and girls around the world.
In 2013, I made my BIG + bold gift to the Global Fund for Women. Its mission is to advance the rights of women and girls worldwide by increasing resources for and investing in women-led organizations and women’s collective leadership for change.
