Published 11/18/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
So far, the only individuals who’ve been able to grip my being with the warm fingers of unconditional inspiration have been writers, poets or people involved in the literary world. At UC Berkeley, the individuals who’ve managed to fit into this criterion so far are my professors. As I see them lead the life that I’ve envisioned and created for myself, I find myself fueled by the fire of passion and set out in pursuit of my dreams with double the enthusiasm. However, in September this year, my pre-determined rule of allowing only literary veterans to earn the title of being my inspiration and role model faded away, and a twenty-year-old-woman, Christina Paz Arguello, made her way into this otherwise literature-adorned zone.
When we first met, Christina and I instantly bonded over our mutually experienced academic intensity and the inherent tendency to do, as our well-wishers put, it “too much.” In addition to our internship and extracurricular engagements, both of us were Juniors at UC Berkeley and worked the same job as Residential Safety Ambassadors. That’s where I engaged in an in-person conversation with her for the first time, and introduced myself as a year-old LinkedIn connection who had been following her journey very closely for a long time. Since I first stumbled across her profile that presented each individual accomplishment with a sense of kind humility as opposed to a pompous brag, Christina has already received several offers from Law Schools around the world— such as Harvard Law School and Yale Law School amidst others.
“I don’t know how you’re managing to graduate in 2.5 years with one major and two minors. You’re going to make a great attorney someday,” I say, my eyes widened in incredulous intrigue. “I hope so,” she responds, her voice soft with the combined emotion of humility and kindness. “So, how do you do so much?” I cross-question, as she looked at me with her eyes sparkling behind her spectacles. I know there is a story of courage behind the fragments of passion that were so integral to Christina’s journey. “It takes a village,” she answers. “As a child, I grew up comfortably, simply because my parents sacrificed a lot. They gave me several opportunities to hone myself into a woman of a good heart. My mom doesn’t like being a registered nurse, but she still does it— for me,” she adds.
As I let Christina’s accomplishment sink in, I find myself turning to the most ordinary question that any journalist could ask. “Who inspires you? What makes Christina— Christina?” I question, as she meets these mediocre questions with an equally enthusiastic grin. “My Lola! I lived with her for many years and became her caretaker, a position that was of great honor for me. While most people might think of it as a responsibility, for me, it was a great honor to be her caretaker. It helped me grow up quicker and navigate medical systems at a really young age,” she adds.
“So that must’ve taught you a lot, I assume,” I state, and Christina responds with an enthusiastic nod. “Oh yes. It definitely did. As I was navigating these complex medical systems, I also realized how most of these systems were built against minority groups such as myself. This is when I was introduced to the concept of Medical Malpractice, something that I lost my Lola to,” she adds. “This is why I want to work towards becoming an attorney specializing in Medical Malpractices. I will fight for my clients to get them the justice they deserve,” she emphasizes.
All this while, I’ve merely read poetry praising the self-made woman, but Christina embodies this fiery spirit of independence in spirit and identity. Everything that she is today is all on her own— financially independent, self-reliant and most importantly, in determined pursuit of her goals and aspirations that are all directed towards the greater good. Above everything else, it’s important to realize how Christina is, in fact, quite the cartographer. To our ordinary “mortal” gaze, the distance between a grandmother’s loving grasp and an attorney’s uniform might seem immense. However, through her dedicated pursuit of what truly matters to her, Christina conquers this distance with commendable ease, ensuring that she takes her proud onlookers— such as myself— with her wherever she goes.