The daughter of Mexican immigrants, and raised in Los Angeles, Leslie has always been passionate about public service work- having endured a life of social hardships herself. She and her mother came to the United States from Sinaloa, Mexico when she was an infant. As an undocumented Latina, she had to seek alternative means of accessing higher education and supporting her family. Balancing work and school, her hard work paid off as she was accepted into Harvard where she received her BA in Sociology, with a secondary degree in Ethnicity, Migration, & Rights. 

Following graduation, she worked as a legal assistant, interpreter, and most recently as a paralegal at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center. Her personal experience with the barriers that working-class migrant families face has motivated her to seek a career advocating for marginalized communities. She is an aspiring immigration and human rights attorney who seeks to continue helping vulnerable people survive, thrive, and access justice.She is pursuing her JD at UCLA School of Law.