Juan Baez

MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Believing in myself and never seeing obstacles as endpoints, but rather as opportunities with new directions.

HOW DREXEL HELPED: I’m naturally a quiet person. I shy away from the spotlight and attention — a person of few words. Drexel welcomed me and provided me with the resources I needed to come out of my shell, even if ever so slowly. Drexel reminded me that everything starts with an individual. The entrepreneurial spirit of never stopping and always looking for solutions was at the core of what I learned. I was the second class of a brand new law school. My law school classmates were self-starters who created an environment of go-getters, and that atmosphere gave me the confidence to be involved and be a leader.

WHERE I’ll BE IN FIVE YEARS: I see myself continuing to serve the public through the work of the AIDS Law Project of Pennsylvania. My job allows me the satisfaction to help many people: people living with HIV, the LGBT community and poor residents of Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey. I take great pride in our work. Advocating and giving our clients a sense of dignity and hope fulfills me. In the distant future, I hope to one day become a judge and continue my journey of promoting justice.