Today we’d like to introduce you to Barbara Flores.
Barbara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am an environmental activist, future attorney, first generation student, freelance model, and most importantly I am always true to myself. All I have accomplished is thanks to the strong support from my family. From a very young age my parents have emphasized my ability to reach my goals and pursue my dreams. Thanks to their support I became dedicated and disciplined characteristics that have allowed me to come this far. I was always studious and spent most of my youth focusing on grades and dreaming of the day I would enroll into university, graduate, and make my family proud. From a young age I knew I wanted to make a difference in the world. At a young age I became to cultivate my interest in the planet by volunteering and learning all I could about the living creatures that inhabit our planet. During high school I was fortunate to have a teacher that deeply cared about his students and about the environment. He was one of the few teachers that taught about climate change even though it was not required under the curriculum and at the time not a widely discussed topic. I began to understand the contours of climate change and I even remember learning about the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Air Act. Environmental Science became the most influential classes for my decisions down the road. I graduated high school with the goal of making a difference with my education. I knew since then that I wanted to become an attorney and that my road of sacrifices would continue. I had the privilege of becoming the first person to attend university in my family and the privilege of attending Texas A&M University. I earned my bachelor’s degree in Political Science in two years and had the amazing experiences of studying abroad and learning about the contours of environmental policy in Western Europe and Costa Rica. My experiences abroad really shaped my interest in international environmental law. Upon graduating from Texas A&M in 2018 I was honored and privileged to have been accepted at the University of Houston’s Law Center. That has been one of the greatest achievements of my life since I became a step closer to achieving my dream. I am now a second year law student and will be obtaining a legal masters in energy, environment, and natural resource law. I strive to educate people and advocate for environmental protection in an effort to try and save our planet. My passion led me to run my instagram page with a purpose; outreach and education on the climate crisis, environmental protection, and sustainable living. Instead of simply posting for style inspiration I want to make a difference in educating people since I believe that it is one of the first steps to taking action. My goal is to educate and have some impact on people’s lives and to truly make a difference in everything I can. I want to inspire others and leave a legacy for what I have done e through my legal career, hobbies, and my environmental activism.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been anything but smooth. Getting into college as a first generation student is a struggle. There is no one to guide you or help you along the way. Statistics tell you don’t belong, even society might make you feel that way, but it is information women especially women of color must use to feel empowered. If you truly want something fight for it and give it your all. There will be people along the way that will tell you can’t do it, but use that negativity to fuel you to prove them wrong. Along the way I had so many people doubting me. They doubted I’d make it to university then they doubted I’d graduate and truly doubted if I would ever make it to law school. I am now in law school against all odds and one of the few Latina first generation low income students there. Now people are doubting me as to whether I will be successful in my career and whether I will ever be able to make a difference regarding the environment and the climate crisis. I just use all that negativity to keep me going and I keep my head high.
Tell us about your work – what should we know?
Apart from being a full time law student, I also run my instagram blog @barbara_estephani where I promote sustainable living, provide education on the climate crisis and environmental news, and post my work as a freelance model. I think that my page’s purpose really sets me apart from others. My page has a larger purpose than just sharing my work as a model or my style, the main purpose is to educate people and try to get people who are not usually aware of the climate crisis engaged.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
As I explained in my story my family has definitely played a major role in my success. They pushed me and empowered me to always do my best. I think that their role in my life is a major reason I am who I am today.
Contact Info:
- Email: barbara.x.flores@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbara_estephani/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbara-estephani-f-31538bb8/
Image Credit:
@moisessirias @bryanchanphotography @thehopperphotography @anghelov @xpertwizard @alvintran.photography
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