Cierra de la Garza graduated from Louisiana State University in December 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in history.
From the beginning of her undergraduate career, she was a student representative and worked to create an inclusive academic atmosphere where every student could be seen and heard. Her passion for policy and social change sparked her involvement in prison reform and restorative justice. She spent two summers as a paralegal intern for a defense attorney in New York City where she was face-to-face with the justice system on a daily basis. Upon returning to Louisiana after the internship, she volunteered with Parole Project teaching various classes to formerly incarcerated individuals. These humanizing experiences made it easy to transition into the position of Client Advocate in October 2024.
As a client advocate, her goal is to foster solid and supportive relationships with each client so that they can reach their full potential and rewrite the narrative of those impacted by the justice system. “Advocacy means support — supporting redemption, supporting rehabilitation, and supporting people. Everyday our clients prove that the human capacity for change knows no bounds and that together we can overcome.”