NALEO – National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials

07/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/02/2026 10:31

I carried everything I owned in a black trash bag as a young man

Dear «First Name»,

I wrote down my goals when I was 17 years old.

Be the first in the family to go to college. Get a Finance degree. Graduate from law school. Serve the people of New Mexico.

After burying my father, who passed away at the young age of 49 due to muscular dystrophy, I didn't have a single relative in New Mexico, but I did have community. At one point, I had everything I owned in a black plastic trash bag. I spent ten years finishing my bachelor's degree, but I achieved goal number one. I kept going because I didn't know any other way.

NALEO – National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials published this content on July 02, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 02, 2026 at 16:31 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]