By Amalia Gonzalez and Jenny Patiño –

Walking into Panaderia/Tortilleria Nuevo Leon, you can find Marisa Morado working behind the counter, bagging delicious sweet bread and ringing up customers. She grew up in Pilsen, a predominantly Mexican neighborhood of Chicago and now works part-time at Nuevo Leon to supplement her income.

When asked about growing up in Pilsen, she refers to it as “a learning experience.” She has been able to see that in her community those that didn’t follow the path of education didn’t end up succeeding. She says that “if you look around the community there are still a lot of people who didn’t, move on or go ahead in there lives, unfortunately.”

Marisa chose the path of education. Despite the challenges of being a young single mother, she was able to attend Roosevelt University and receive her paralegal certificate. She has also earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice.

Marisa has experience working as a paralegal and now works as a secretary at the third largest firm in the United States. She is currently assigned to five attorneys in the white-collar crimes department where she feels she has learned that not only people who are poor minorities break the law.

“When you come from a low-income neighborhood such as Pilsen, right away people think well, Pilsen, you’re going to fall into crime and it’s not like that,” says Marissa.  “Even people from Bucktown and high-end-up places also commit crimes.”

Marisa was inspired to begin her career in criminal justice by the show L.A. Law. Now her example is showing those around her what is possible. The work she does in the law firm’s white-collar crimes department is inspiring her 16-year-old son to contemplate a career in forensics.

Learn more about Morado in this video interview.

Amalia Gonzalez and Jenny Patiño are students at Columbia College Chicago.