PERSONAL STATEMENT

Daniella Torres, United Kingdom, the London School of Economics and Political Science
MSc in International Migration and Public Policy
Financial insecurity has long been characteristic of my household. Though it was a
collective goal as a family, we were unsure about being able to completely afford higher
education. In 2012, I was accepted to university through the Opportunity Programs (OP), a New
York State initiative providing low-income students with resources to succeed in university and
lessen the financial burden of higher education. However, university brought a new wave of
financial hardships that I overcame through grit and perseverance. I applied to and secured a
scholarship that paid for my books, and continuously met and negotiated with university officials
to secure funding for my studies in Washington, D.C., where I studied politics and foreign
policy. In addition to overcoming my financial hardships on campus, through university-
sponsored initiatives, I reached policymakers and lobbied for support of additional higher
education grants and lower interest rates for student loans. Meeting with elected officials in
Washington, D.C. and Albany, New York and being part of the legislative process highlighted
the importance of the constituency in policy development. After graduation, I would continue to
meet with elected officials in the New York State Legislature to ask for their support on
legislation, this time concerning mental health in New York State through the American
Foundation for Suicide Prevention, of which I am a member of its Bronx Committee.
During my time in Washington, D.C., I joined student government as Secretary of
Community Engagement, networked with students at Howard University and joined its
Caribbean Student Association, and accomplished one of the most successful academic
semesters of my undergraduate career. My first-year interdisciplinary, writing, and research
seminars established the theoretical foundations for what would be my pursuit of human rights
scholarship. Due to travel and living costs, my undergraduate study abroad options were limited.
Despite this, I took the initiative to participate in local conferences, including the International
Young Leaders Assembly, in which I served as a delegate to the United States at the United
Nations, which allowed me to further expand my knowledge on international cooperation. In
2017, I held an internship with New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres, who was Chair of the
Committee on Public Housing at the time. Attending budget hearings, meeting with the Bronx
Delegation of councilmembers, and researching affordable and public housing initiatives and
policies introduced me to a new concept of governing, one that has an immediate and direct
impact on constituents. Relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area provided me with the immense
privilege of assisting asylees, detainees, and undocumented youth, establishing working
relationships built on trust, respect, and a desire to extend legal representation to underserved and
underrepresented communities.
The opportunity to pursue an MSc in International Migration and Public Policy at the
London School of Economics and Political Science with the support of a Fulbright grant would
render a unique experience in providing a platform to study and analyze public policy and
governing structures comparatively and address prevalent issues indicative of today’s
geopolitics. My professional and academic experiences have fortified my decision to pursue a
career in the law. Incorporating the knowledge and research methods I will gain through the MSc
in International Migration and Public Policy will significantly impact my future research and
scholarship as a law student and subsequently as an attorney.
Moreover, the Fulbright Program possesses a vast alumni network of scholars that have
actively contributed or are contributing to my respective academic discipline. In 2018, I
published an essay on Puerto Rican statehood in the New York University undergraduate journal
of history, The Historian. Being a member of the Fulbright scholar community means furthering
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Daniella Torres, United Kingdom, the London School of Economics and Political Science
MSc in International Migration and Public Policy
my contributions to an ongoing discourse on human rights and the law, particularly during a
resurrection of political insecurities and questions on national identity. Having the opportunity to
pursue this education through a Fulbright grant allows me to connect with directly and manifest
the late-Senator Fulbright’s mission: to further international cooperation through cultural
exchange and mutual learning. Irrespective of the challenges I have faced in my academic and
professional endeavors, I have always overcome them with discipline, perseverance, and a
constant focus on my goals. The opportunity of a Fulbright grant will allow me to pursue an
education that will prepare me for a career of serving and directly influence my approach in
assisting my community through a future career focused on immigration law and public policy.