Great until you have state of a jewel five and graduated from cross keys high school indicate she went on to receive a degree in political science and sociology from Georgia state University and up team who all degree from syracuse University brenda device care after latino office which Democratic party Florida. I need the owner of the nose from and I will see where she promotes the rights of immigrants through removal defense and I generally Migration, proudly will, but end up pass an extensive background. I love to see happy and volunteer. We well-known organizations such as the Georgia Association of latino elected officials and I'm state international main nice for your early passionate moving about education, access to education for doctor seeking and other young people broadly, United States is to wrench she is most proud of work as a be The instructor with the adult education program tomorrow, school, please join me welcoming state representative, but I'm know Thank you, deanna what, like to say, I was asked to come and speak them and give a little bit of back story about myself and so I think that was accomplish okay so I don't have much more to save on now when I start this thank you for having me here and um I will ask you to entertain me for a little bit to give you a little bit more background in terms of how I got um to be at the general Assembly today and I, like to turn up by saying that 10 years ago I became a United States citizen myself, I Co by my father, who a year earlier we had um having study and he also able to become of us incident. I was about to go to law, school around that time and I thought at that point in my life that Speeding do the advocacy work that I had done and civil rights, Justice and my desire to continue championing. Tell me equality for all that I become a us citizen as I entered of my graduate education, but also a new that along right leg, was gonna um up to do. Citizenship. I was also it down with civic responsibility to become more knowledgeable about the political process and policy decisions that effect us and to participate in the political process. Citizenship. I believe He's on duty tonight fees cold Harbor me as I work to become the first latino elected to the general Assembly, but it is citizenship that had given me that ability and the privilege to represent the constituents in my district and to serve all georgians and I wanna share you with you and going along of being Americans stories from our American Dream for myself. I'm looking Georgia since I was five years amazing mention went to cross keys, went on to undergraduate and graduate um School eventually, after whether the law, school I am stand up because you have a tourney at Catholic charities and laid on lunch practices, suspensions and then November two thousand 16 theater. I was elected to the general Assembly and then second As nose this really district, good right and um, but I do wanna say that whatever said was very true, be on the real story is not bad too. Nice to let them that by five 50 information that can be read of, but rather uh the reason that I'm here and that isn't that many of us here is help that has been extended to us along the way and so I wanna share, then um as I enter kindergarten, I actually um was filmed kindergarten is what I told a lot of young folks when I speak to them in high school and College. It wasn't him at that time in the early nineties, there woman. How much staff that was going will um definitely teachers that were not biting by And my mother tells me that uh I used to get really upset that I cannot understand my teachers and they cannot communicate um as a result. I think that I'm struggled and and and and that up, not being promoted with my ears but was also one of the first lessons and my father gave me and has given very many lessons along the way that it is not enough to just be upset if to feel men, but rather that I have to focus on making sure that I learn that I am pain and education, so later on on when I entered Finally, right here in high school, I actually also did quite poorly academically that first year I have grown up on how long you can highway for most of my life. I 10 and six elementary schools is very diverse. Schools, but that nitrate your withdraw school um and one 200 that was less diverse and it was actually one of the first times in the United States and then I was on the filter. I was told that I was not American um but fortunately I say we didn't go back. We didn't back um twice Towards the cab County clusters, where I finished my high school Premier and um as I mention really that is sort of the start for me, of when I had great opportunities to have fundamental people in my life help me along the way it started with French. Like French high school teacher that was one of the person that told me because I, like to are you and debate a lot and I should be coming into different but I also with a nothing contact um have my High school teacher and mister number hundred to my high school, counselor at that time, um the first and only kinda she spoke to be was also told me that, because I was bilingual um be a good receptionist or Secretary but as I've mention of him met so many more kind hearted people along the way that have nurtured me and I'd like to extend, thank you's because um he is here today to somebody that maybe someone that was, is fundamental in my life and has given people Different maybe here is well planning College. I also have a William hayes keeping the stuff with the equal opportunity Center that also make sure that he persian style in a law school and he actually introduced me to a lot of my closest mentors. That I have today by the time that I had finish College and we got it made sufficient investments in myself and the work that I did others also decided to invest in me and I had the opportunity to intern with the southern education foundation and then um laid President of hundley and excellent woman. She was one of the first women to go to College and her era and strong African American about woman that gave me a lot of vitamins Only one of the other thing she did was something simple as a page for me to take my set friend of course and so I love the way many other people that hope the weather was applying for financial. How to apply for calling on for College possible letters of recommendation and honestly extending my network amongst other attorney and advocacy organizations so that, by the time that I run for office, I have been involved um with numerous different organizations and then see saying people That has supported and continue to support me today, not because I'm running for office who are quite frankly, but I think because we have known me for the last five to 10 years um to the community service. Volunteering and advocacy work that I mean that I've done today I'm giving one common question and very good question and that's how is it that I can actually make an impact avoid difference. Can I making in the general Assembly and dancer tuned for me is that um really really dumb, simple, especially now and it has nothing to do with largest Nation and actually has to do with the fact that my presence is a general Legislature and teach to open doors. Um due to the Senate and political pipeline for young folks, especially young folks of color and then during my first or my proud to have 16 interns from my name. First and immigration and really just background in our program and they are all exceptional number post um one me here and I always wanna give a shout out for my money so this gonna, please wake up I think I'm just gonna be our up and coming leader and she characteristics and that is that the role obvious leave up smart, talented full-time students. They were that is two to three jobs and they were having involved in different community service aspect and obviously they still had time with guaranteed to come help me out to cab so it's actually their presence doing that has been the most impactful to my life and I think also the general Assembly for those that visit us from time to time they know how impressive um these folks have been to all legislators their across them So it is really this fact story about the present and future of our great state in the integration of its new Americans. That makes me so excited about to secure skis and I mentioned before and I do ask that you come visit us at the capital that you come lobby and express your opinion about everything that's going on in our state so I invite you to engaging that civic responsibility that I thought was so crucial when I became a us citizen and obviously I probably shouldn't have to tell me you want here to register to vote and make sure you vote in all elections, but I do ask you to bring post along that will would not normally Come along and take them to the post, with you and I wanna leave you with a greater challenge and I will that challenge that I wanna leave you with is to continue this great work. That everyone here does a fully embracing our great Nations. Um ideals, principles and working to integrate the best of your era teaching. Your background so we can continue to invigorate America. It is fabric and provide our nation with fresh ideas, strong work ethic entrepreneurship and innovative spirit that all Americans have an all My Americans have always brought to this country inception of its of its birth, so thank you again