Bonnie Henry : She backs immigrant rights

She is also passionate about immigrant rights — and it shows in her winning essay in the just-published book "She's Out There! 35 Women Under 35 Who Aspire to Lead."

"As president, I would work with impoverished countries to improve the socioeconomic conditions that force people to leave their native countries," wrote Barajas, a second-year law student come August at the University of Arizona.

Born in Southern California, Barajas grew up in the farming communities of inland California, where her father picked citrus and grapes and where her mother sorted and packed dates.

By the time Barajas was school-age, the family had settled in Thermal, about 25 miles southeast of Palm Springs.

"Although my parents were agriculture laborers, it did not prevent them from understanding that a higher education was the path to a better future," wrote Barajas in a recent e-mail.

Now American citizens, Barajas' parents, who came to America more than 30 years ago, "made sacrifices and overcame obstacles" that spurred her desire for higher education.

She also has two older brothers, one a teacher, the other an optician.

In the summer of 2006, Barajas interned with Merrill Lynch in New York City. There, she, along with six other young women, became the subject of a documentary, "What's Your Point, Honey?" by Amy Sewell and Susan Toffler.

The film tells the story of these seven young women and their participation in a program dedicated to getting women in the White House. It was Sewell who told Barajas about the essay contest.

Ironically, Barajas is no longer interested in running for public office. "I feel that I can have an impact on my community via other means," she says.

That began in May of 2007, when, with scholarships and loans, she graduated from the University of Southern California.

Although her first year of law school here was an "eye-opener" because of "inadequacies" in her formal training, Barajas credits her family and its support. "I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to learn the things I am learning now."

Armed with a law degree, she hopes to remove through legal means "the harsh realities of discrimination and unequal opportunities in our society."

As for her unusual first name, it's a compilation culled from the first names of a great-grandmother and two grandmothers. "It was my father's doing. He is the creative member of the family."

Profile of Gigi Farley / A10

IF YOU GO

Agxibel Barajas and Gigi Farley will sign "She's Out There! 35 Women Under 35 Who Aspire to Lead," at 2 p.m. Saturday at Borders Books, 5870 E. Broadway. The hardcover book is $29.95.