Dec. 23, 2011

The Orange County Bar Foundation recently awarded Jonathan Espinoza, a senior at Segerstrom High School, the Outstanding Participation Award for his work on Project SELF. Espinoza worked on the project during an internship at Crowell & Moring LLP in Irvine. In 1995, the foundation and the Orange County chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators teamed up to form Project SELF, a nonprofit organization that provides Santa Ana high school students with an opportunity to intern at a law firm for eight weeks during the summer. Jonathan has had dreams of becoming a lawyer since he was a child. But growing up in a drug-dealing and gang-infested neighborhood, the odds are stacked against him. According to Nancy Garcia, associate director of the Orange County Bar Foundation, Jonathan’s story is not unusual for the interns they mentor. “Project SELF is a great experience and opportunity for the Santa Ana youth,” Garcia said. “Working at these law firms opens up so many doors for them.” Pamela Kuckelman, chair of the Orange County Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators, said the program has helped hundreds of kids throughout its six years and Espinoza’s success is a great example of what the program strives to accomplish. “We are really devoted to make [Project SELF] a good experience for them,” said Kuckelman. “I hope they leave with a sense that they can be whatever they want to be.” Espinoza said the program helped solidify his desire to become an attorney. He has been awarded a summer 2012 internship at the White House and a scholarship to Georgetown University next fall. — Connie Lopez