Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Batres.
Hi Stephanie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am the daughter of two Mexican immigrants. I have three younger brothers. As a child of immigrants who do not speak English, I grew up as the person who helped my parents navigate a language barrier in a new country. Ever since I was in 2nd grade, when I officially became proficient in English, I was translating legal documents, health documents, etc. In my family and community, I was that person that people would go to find solutions. I was a young, resourceful, and adaptable individual who would go on the internet to find appropriate resources. That often led me to the common solution: “Speak to an attorney.” I did not know it at the time, but that watered a seed in me to eventually pursue law.
My parents did not have the privilege of receiving an education. My mom went to 3rd grade, and my dad only studied up to 6th grade in Mexico. They did not necessarily have any educational expectations for me, considering the little education they had been able to receive. But they were always as supportive as they could be. I ended up graduating as the top of my class aka “valedictorian” in elementary, middle school, and high school. However, although always being at the top of my class, my journey was a lot rougher than what appeared on the surface. I was 12 years old when I had my first therapist and psychiatrist. At the age of 12-13, I was unfortunately plagued with thoughts of suicide. During this time, I first learned about my mental health illnesses and how to manage them. Throughout high school I learned to cope with living with a mental disability but was constantly challenged with life traumas ranging from losing friends to cancer (including my best friend), toxic relationship w sexual trauma, living in a community w high gang related violence, and having family members with severe mental disorders. But again, on the surface, everything seemed to be “perfect.”
Due to my academic success, I was tracked into the college route without knowing it. Through the guidance of school counselors, I applied to college. I ended up going to UCLA to receive my B.A. in Political Science with a double minor in Public Affairs and Chicana/o and Central American Studies. My time at UCLA was another journey that tested my resilience. During this time, I lost loved ones to domestic violence, lost loved ones to a drunk driver accident, and experienced assault and more sexual trauma. This was another dark time in which I dealt with suicidal ideation. But with the help of my family, friends, community, and mental health specialist, I was able to make it out with a new sense of love for life and giving back to my community. Again, academically, all went well, and, on the surface, it seemed as if life for Stephanie Batres was perfect.
After I graduated, I took one gap year from school to apply to law school. During this time, I really focused on bettering myself. I worked on my mental health, set life goals, and did some self-discovery. I discovered my love for anime and made a new community. I began to travel to anime conventions and do cosplay. During this year, I did a lot of traveling for pleasure, modeling, and began to dress in a more expressive manner that made me feel sexiest. The love for myself grew so much. My self-esteem grew. I then got accepted to my dream school, UCLA School of Law.
The first year of law school was academically challenging. But for the first time ever, the biggest stressor in my life was my academic stresses and not other life traumatic circumstances. I felt very blessed and even enjoyed the academic stress of being a first-year law student. Through law school I have met so many more amazing individuals who continue to guide my career goals and dreams.
Now, I am a second-year law student. I am thankful for the opportunities that have been presented to me as future employment opportunities post-law school. I am finally in a position where I can see my academic efforts being paid off. I also have begun to continue watering my passions in anime as I started my Twitch journey this year, where I game, cosplay, and talk about anime, but also talk about my law school experience.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Mental health challenges, imposter syndrome, financial challenges, etc.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar with what you do, what can you tell them about what you do?
I am currently a law student expected to get my J.D. in May 2025. I am a first-generation Spanish speaking Latina that is navigating a space in which there is as little as 2% of representation. I am proud that I will be an attorney that will be able to bring more representation. I currently work at the UCLA Law Fellows Outreach program, where I help underrepresented students complete their law school application materials. I am proud of this position because I am paying forward all the support and mentorship I once received to get to the position I am now. Some of my mentees have been accepted to schools such as Colombia, UChicago, UCLA, Berkeley, etc. I also stream on Twitch, where I am building a community where I talk about issues that matter to me (social advocacy), I play games, I talk about anime, talk about mental health, and give tips on navigating the law school application process and experience.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
So many people. But biggest shout out to my family. My parents specifically. And my friends, my roommate of 6+ years. The UCLA Law Fellows program, my high school mentors, teachers, and counselors. My therapists.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.twitch.tv/baetress
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/BAETRES_/
Image Credits
@salstouch
@izonrich
