Berkeley

WOCC Portrait Project

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It wasn’t long after I began law school for the idea for this project to come about. Due to a history of exclusivity reinforced through laws and in the legal profession, law school was not always an option for someone like me. Despite Berkeley Law’s best efforts at increasing diversity and fostering inclusion, I did not immediately feel comfortable at school -- until I walked into my first Womxn of Color Collective meeting. The WOCC community finally made me feel like I belonged at Berkeley. Hopefully, these portraits and words make you feel more at home here, too.

WOCC members inspire me every day through their passion, resilience, and drive. This project is intended to add our vibrant colors to the halls of Berkeley Law. It is intended to show how diverse our diversity is and how our stories make us stronger. It is intended to show you that, even though it may feel like it, you are never alone.

Thank you to all of the chingonas who shared their time, faces, and stories with me. Thank you to three generations of WOCC co-chairs: Farrah Vasquez & Monica Ramsy who encouraged me to turn my into reality, Liv Gee & Sana Mayat who helped me organize and carry out my vision, and Jessica Williams & Maya Campbell for crossing the finish line with me. Thank you to Dean Chemerinsky and Dean Vanden Heuvel for getting these portraits on these walls. Thank you to my sister, because of you I will never be “the only one.” And thank you to all the revolutionaries who fought to crack open Berkeley Law’s doors; we will fight like hell to bust them down.

In community,

Anya (‘20)

VIEW THE PROJECT

Graduation || Chelsea

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Another beautiful Berkeley Law grad. Chelsea is an absolute beauty (I mean, clearly). I had a great time hearing about how she managed to game law school and spend as little time on campus as possible and her upcoming adventures to Iceland. We were also blessed with a beautiful overcast day so the photos came out exactly how I was envisioning. Taking these photos got me excited to walk the stage myself next year.

Congrats Berkeley Law Class of 2019!

Now onto Bar prep.

Engagement || Elizabeth & Diego

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I met Elizabeth in La Raza Law Students Association at Berkeley Law. She was a year ahead of me and always shared tips and tricks on how to survive in law school. I will never forget how she saved my sanity in Spring semester of my 1L year by lending me her copy of “A Happy Guide to Contracts."

This past summer Elizabeth and her partner Diego got engaged (!!) and I was honored when she asked me to take her engagement photos. The original idea was to go to Land’s End at sunrise to catch the beautiful blue and pink hues rising about the Pacific Ocean. It ended up not working out so when we rescheduled for April at the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens I was skeptical. I had been to the gardens several times and most of the plants were dead, the environment was general gray, so imagine my surprise when after an hour of shooting these were the results!

I am so happy with how these photos turned out. They give off tropical vibes, are so bright and sunny, and completely fit within my aesthetic. I am so excited for these too and hope that they love the photos as much as I do!

Graduation || Candice

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First of all, Candice is a queen. Second of all, she is one of the most amazing people I have had the honor to meet at Berkeley law. As my WOA TA, she gave me tips to improve my writing. As my mentor, she gave me tips to improve my life. I won’t hear that contagious laugh around campus next year, but I am so excited to see all of the incredible things that you will accomplish. Thank you for everything Ms. Candice!
GET 👏🏽 THAT 👏🏽 JD 👏🏽 GIRL 👏🏽 

Fashion || Mason Twins

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And, here is Part II. For these shots we went to one of my favorite places on Berkeley campus near Moffitt Library. I loved playing with the shadows and rays of natural light to create these edgy fashion shots. The depth of field in these also adds to the dramatic vibe; my 50mm 1.4 is a real one.

Fashion || Mason Twins

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I had the pleasure of getting to shoot Kennedy & Morgan Mason again. The last time we shot, Morgan and Kennedy met me in downtown Oakland we took advantage of all of the graffiti and brick walls in Old Oakland. This time, we ventured into downtown Berkeley to find a good backdrop for their colorful outfits. The exterior of the new BAM/PFA building gave us some interesting looks and, of course, I had to throw in some shots against a white wall. I love how these photos turned out; the definitely captured the vibe I was going for: angular, fashion-y, and just a little bit weird.

Stay tuned for part II.

52 Faces || Monica

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March 2, 2018

Better late than never! I met Monica at Berkeley Law through the Women of Color Collective. WOCC has been one of my sanctuaries on campus. Being a student in an institution designed to exclude me has been challenging. But, being a part of this group incredible women has spun that challenge into empowerment. Having Monica at the helm, as co-chair, has been so inspiring. She has such a bubbly personality, infectious laugh, and eagerness to love everyone. Monica’s passion and dedication to supporting her people is so obvious in everything she does. Monica shared that she lives for her deliberately chosen family, the people that she has experienced the bounties, joys, challenges, adventures, and deep love with which give her life meaning. And if you are thinking (like I am) how could she get any more awesome, get ready… she has a kitten.