About Bill

Hello! I'm Bill, a first-generation Mexican-American college graduate from South Tucson, Arizona. My journey has been one of resilience, courage, and success. When I was 15, my mother was separated from our family because of her immigration status. This life-changing event led me to step into the roles of parent, cook, housekeeper, brother, nurse, and tireless immigration law researcher. It also fueled my dedication to public service and social justice. Throughout my life, I have worked for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Pima County Administrator's Office, a member of the U.S. Congress, and numerous legal aid organizations and human rights nonprofits. I hold a B.A. Phi Beta Kappa in Latin American Studies and Sociology with Honors from Bowdoin College, where I was a Gates Millennium Scholar, John Lewis Fellow, Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, Truman Scholar, and the 2016 national Hispanic Scholar of the Year. I also have an M.Sc. in Migration Studies with Merit and an M.Sc. in Criminology and Criminal Justice with Distinction from the University of Oxford, where I became a Marshall Scholar and Clarendon Fund Scholar. Currently, I'm pursuing a Ph.D. in Criminology at Oxford and have just completed my first year at Yale Law School, where I am a Hurst Horizon Scholar, an International Strategy Forum Fellow, and a Katzmann Fellow. I'm passionate about making a positive impact and inspiring others through my experiences. When I'm not studying or working, you can find me playing basketball and soccer, cooking, and writing a book!