First-Generation Rutgers Scholar Sets Sights on Community Impact

Posse Scholar Larissa De Paula is honing her leadership skills at Rutgers University as an intern with Lives in Translation, a community-based language translation initiative. Larissa is using the opportunity to gain experience in the legal field as an interpreter for Portuguese speaking clients at Rutgers Law Associates.

A child of immigrants, Larissa grew up in Brazil and, upon moving to Massachusetts, learned firsthand about the difficulties that migrants endure while seeking asylum in the United States. Her family’s experience fueled her drive to succeed. She attended Boston’s Brockton High School before winning a Posse Scholarship to Rutgers.

When I got into Posse, I knew that I had just broken a major generational barrier in my family.

“When I got into Posse, I knew that I had just broken a major generational barrier in my family,” says Larissa, who is also the first in her family to attend college. “I made a vow to myself the night I got the call for Posse: No matter what happened, I would achieve my dreams.”

Those dreams include a career in immigration law that will enable her to give back to her community. To that end, Larissa is pursuing a dual major in criminal justice and political science with a minor in Latina and Caribbean studies.

Since joining Rutgers, Larissa has involved herself in the campus community and taken advantage of opportunities to grow as a leader.

“I plan to say ‘yes’ to every opportunity that comes my way,” she says. “That’s what helped me find Posse.”