SVUDL Gave Me the Power to Make the Change I Want to See

What drew SVUDL alum and recent Santa Clara University School of Law graduate Marybelle Uk to SVUDL wasn't solely ambition — it was belonging. "Everyone at SVUDL is passionate about helping students succeed while also having fun. It was important for me to have a space after school where I didn't have to worry about parents, chores, or other responsibilities. It was critical for me to be around other people who also wanted to learn."

At SVUDL, she started finding her voice. Not all at once, and not without discomfort, but steadily. She describes her younger self as someone who could barely ask for ketchup at a fast food counter. “SVUDL gave me the tools I needed to just put myself out there and try. A lot of the conversations that matter are scary. SVUDL gave me the power to have those conversations.”

That shift shaped more than her confidence. It shaped her direction. "SVUDL encouraged me to pursue law school. It gave me the push from being that shy kid who couldn't really speak up for herself to being able to advocate for others who really need help. SVUDL shaped me as a person by showing me how to push through fear. It taught me that I could do it even if I was scared. SVUDL gave me the power to make the changes I want to see in the world."

Her first law school summer, interning at the Santa Clara County Public Defender's office, solidified her belief that all criminal defendants deserve to be heard and have their day in court. “Seeing how heavily some of these charges weighed on people and how unfair our legal system really can be was eye-opening,” she recalled.

She's carried that perspective into her current work at Santa Clara University School of Law International Human Rights Clinic where she recently helped draft an amicus brief for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. "It's difficult to stomach some of the human rights abuses we read about but doing this type of work is critical and lets me keep using the skills I've built to push for change."

"Being able to interact with people in a legal sense knowing how difficult everything is to navigate and seeing the relief on their faces when things are resolved means everything,” she says, referencing her current work at a family law firm. She also somehow finds time to volunteer with Bridge to Justice, Second Harvest, and the Red Cross.

Ultimately, she sees her own story reflected in current SVUDL students. "You can see the impact by how many alumni come back to help as staff and judges. SVUDL has changed the lives of every student that comes through the program.”