June Bordas
June is a graduate of Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, where she majored in English. During college and after, June was active in community service, including building houses for Habitat for Humanity in Mobile and supporting homeless youth in Houston. After college, she worked at a variety of jobs in Houston and Seattle, and, since 2016, has been a Resource Specialist and Trainer at King County 2-1-1. While working at 2-1-1 this spring, June helped the agency transition to becoming the Dept of Public Health’s COVID-19 information line. June’s journey also includes struggles against discrimination, assaults, and disenfranchisement due to her identity. She states: “ I am a queer transgender woman. And as I owned this and began the harrowing process of transition, the world changed. I soon saw how “discomfort” quickly escalates into dehumanization and discrimination. In my first year of transition, I was denied housing, fired multiple times, assaulted, barred from using the restroom at my place of employment, and turned away by dozens of therapists and doctors. I was turned away from my local polling location due to ‘inability to confirm my identity.’ I am excited to now have the opportunity to attend Gonzaga University School of Law and I look forward to helping foster justice in every relationship I build with both my future clients and colleagues.”
Gaby Marquez
Gaby is a graduate of Eastern Washington University (EWU), where she majored in Political Science and graduated Magma Cum Laude. Gaby grew up in South Carolina then moved to Spokane as a teenager. While attending Ferris High School, she participated in Running Start and enrolled at EWU at the age of 16. As an EWU student, Gaby interned for two years at the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office in the Major Crimes Unit and in the victim advocate program. Gaby also worked full time for over three years at Trader Joe’s. Reflecting on her history, Gaby states, “My array of community service has highlighted the idea that with anything, you must have kindness, but you must also be strong and fierce to invoke change.”
Alan Mendoza Ayala
Alan is a graduate of Whitman College, where he majored in Philosophy and was the recipient a full scholarship. While at Whitman, Alan worked with Whitman Teaches the Movement and the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Teaching Tolerance Program to teach at local schools. After graduating from Whitman, Alan was a visitation specialist at Hope & Family Social Services and he monitored visits for foster children who were visiting their family members. He subsequently worked as a special education paraeducator in the Olympia School District, where he worked closely with students with cognitive and physical disabilities. Alan also worked at homeless shelters prior to joining Gonzaga Law. A recipient of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, Alan was born in Mexico and grew up in Walla Walla, Washington, where he states “we believe in making something out of nothing but grapes and onions rest under the misting sun and the air is sweet.”