SUCCESS STORIES

Larissa Preston

Lisa Miller, age 19, lives for social justice. As a child, she and her siblings lived considerably below the poverty line and she did everything she could to ameliorate her situation. When she was ten-years old she got her first job to try to become independent, but $20/week did not help much. Lisa was not discouraged. She continued working, but focused on school and her bonds with her siblings. At age eleven, her brother was adopted and she and her sister entered a foster home. Lisa could not work, so she started to volunteer. At 14, she and her sister left their placement and went into separate relative placements.

From there Lisa graduated from Lick-Wilmerding, one of the most prestigious private high schools in California. During that time, she maintained a 3.0 GPA, Played Varsity Sports, and worked part-time. She volunteered with the American Civil Liberties Union and the U.C.S.F. National Center for Excellence in Women's Health. In her time, she has fought sexism, homophobia and classism, but she is passionate about improving the lives of children everywhere. Currently, she is finishing her first year at the University of the Pacific, where she is studying sociology and volunteering 16 hours a week at Prevent Child Abuse California. She hopes to have three major careers in her life. First she plans to become a child advocate. Then, she would like to do legislative work. And, finally, she would like to serve at least one term as a major government official. Governor would work for her, but her sights are set on the Unite States' Presidency.

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