PHARR, Texas (KVEO) — Two PSJA alumni just became attorneys at the age of 23 and 24.
“I started taking college classes at PSJA North Early College at 14 and I graduated from South Texas College at 17, then I graduated high school,” said Brianna Garza, PSJA North ECHS Class of 2014 Alumna.
Garza received her associate degree one week before she graduated high school.
Right after graduation, she headed to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where she fell in love with a mock trial class and decided to become an attorney.
“I started to intern at law firms and I decided I can do this, I really liked it, I felt like it’s something I could do for the rest of my life and I just really wanted to bring back stuff to my community,” said Garza.
At the age of 20, Garza was accepted to Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston.
“I want to do criminal law, civil law and family law,” said Garza.
She is the youngest graduate in her class at Thurgood and Garza is not the only rising star from PSJA.
“I actually graduated with too many [hours], I had 120 hours by the time I was out of high school,” said Luis Guerrero, PSJA Southwest ECHS Class of 2014 Alum.
Guerrero is 24 and just graduated from St. Mary’s University of Law this May.
Before that, Guerrero received his bachelor’s degree at the age of 21 from Texas A&M University.
“My bachelor is in petroleum geology, I was going to go work, but then I said you know what I’m still young, I should take advantage of this,” said Guerrero.
And that is exactly what he did.
As soon as Guerrero got to high school, he took advantage of dual courses and ended up graduating high school and college at the same time with two associate degrees in Mathematics and Biology.
“My sophomore, junior and senior year, I would go to South Texas College after high school and I would be there until like 9 pm,” said Guerrero.
Luis is living the American Dream after migrating from Mexico to the United States at 5-years-old.
He is also a proud first-generation graduate.
“We didn’t live in these great conditions when I was growing up, it’s not like my dad was an attorney so I had to be one, that wasn’t the case at all, so there was a lot of confusion when going to college,” said Guerrero.
Now, Guerrero said his college experience on every level was worth it and he is ready to bring back home everything he has learned.
“I will be going back to the Valley and try to give back as much as I can. I have all these projects in my mind, I don’t have the money yet, but I have all these projects to be able to do cool stuff in the Valley. I see myself raising a family in the Valley, giving back, going back and having an office in the Valley,” said Guerrero, “A lot of people when they leave the Valley, they don’t want to come back, but for me, I was the other way around, as soon as I went to Texas A&M, I missed home, I am so proud to be from the Valley, to be from South Pharr and being from PSJA.”
Guerrero already has a job offer where he will work at a law firm, ready to serve the community.
The next step for both Guerrero and Garza is to take the bar exam in July and they have both been studying non-stop.
“I wake up, I study, all day from 8-5,” said Garza.
The PSJA alumni said the best part of their success is having the support of their family and the Rio Grande Valley behind them.
“I’m really proud of that area, where I come from, a bunch of loving people. This is all for them,” said Guerrero.
