I grew up in Pecan Park in the diverse East End of Houston, as the daughter of immigrant parents from Argentina and Mexico, where I continue to reside today. My parents came to the United States in search of a better life. My father worked as a diesel mechanic and electric technician and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) 716. My mother worked equally as hard at home as a housewife. Both of my parents’ life stories continue to inspire me today. My father was orphaned as a child but earned a degree in marine engineering. My mother was left to fend for herself as a child, but she taught herself reading, writing and arithmetic. Education was essential to their very survival, so they always stressed the importance of education to my sister and me as the key to our future. They also educated us on the values of compassion, industriousness, respect, service and hope.

Since my parents became U.S. citizens near the time I was born, we were all learning how to be ideal U.S. citizens together. The novelty of the language, food and culture was ever present. While we continued to celebrate our Latino roots, my parents also instilled in us a fervent belief in the American dream. If we worked hard enough to bring our dreams into reality, we could be anything that we wanted to be, but economic times were tough in Houston in the 1980s, and I saw my parents work day and night to ensure that we had enough. My father later obtained a job at General Electric and joined the IBEW 716, which helped with the struggle to maintain fair wages and benefits for the workers. However, the neighborhood showed signs of stress. There were business closures, gunshots at night, homeless persons on the street corners, and so many workers without jobs. The economy thankfully improved, but I struggled to reconcile the idea of the American dream with the inequality and injustice that I witnessed and sometimes experienced. The conflict fueled my passion for social justice and inspired me to become a lawyer at a very young age.

Through the benevolence of my beautiful family, teachers, professors and friends and my experiences, I grew as an individual, cultivating my service and leadership skills while developing a spirit of open-mindedness and tolerance. I succeeded because of the love and support that I generously received from others and from remaining steadfast to the virtues of justice, fortitude, temperance and prudence. I graduated valedictorian of the High School for Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice (HSLECJ), earning an academic scholarship to Rice University. I later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude with a triple major in Political Science, Policy Studies and Religious Studies from Rice University. I was awarded the Joseph Cooper Prize as the most outstanding Policy Studies student in my graduating class for my scholarship and work as a Houston City Council Intern during my senior year.

I later graduated from The University of Texas School of Law in Austin, Texas. I was initially pigeonholed into taxation law, but I always wanted to be a trial attorney, so I took a risk and decided to go to an area teeming with litigation. I took the bar exam, packed up my belongings, and moved to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. I received more hands on training and experience than any young attorney could have ever imagined. I worked constantly on an extensive stream of serious personal injury, wrongful death and medical malpractice cases. I essentially lived at the Courthouse, participating in numerous jury trials and working up cases from inception to trial to appeal. For instance, even before I knew whether or not I had passed the bar, I was sitting second chair in a six (6) week long trial in Hidalgo County, Texas against one of the best Plaintiffs’ firms in Texas, which we won.

Practicing in the Valley was a remarkable experience, but Houston is my home. I returned and continued to work full-time as a civil trial attorney. Today, my husband and I have our own law firm, Nagorny & Stipeche, P.C. In 2002, only 3% of Harris County attorneys were Latinos, even though Latinos comprised 42% of the population. I hope that the figures improve by the next census and that the future offers more opportunity to all children. Over the years, I have mentored many young students, telling them, “If I can do it, so can you!” However, we all need to work hard to ensure that these words ring true.

The jury system is democracy in action, and juries typically make the right decisions no matter how dangerous a jurisdiction is labeled to be. Speaking to jurors after trials, no matter how different their backgrounds, jurors gave similar assessments of their deliberations. As Cesar Chavez’s said, “The love for justice that is in us is not only the best part of our being but it is also the most true to our nature.” While the legal world is complex, the concept of justice has a strong instinctual component as the concept of fairness is ingrained within us.

Any attorney who has been around long enough has experience, and every litigator must have a passion for justice. To be a Judge, however, the right candidate should also possess wisdom and understanding. The right candidate is unbiased and builds bridges instead of burning them. I am running for Judge because I aspire toward the greater good and want to make a difference in Harris County, Texas. I will be fair, impartial, and independent in providing justice for the people. I look forward to seeing you on the campaign trail, and I thank you for your support.