Highlights

    I was born in Houston, Texas, but I grew up on the eastern coast of Virginia with my two younger sisters and parents. From a young age our parents instilled in us Gonzalez girls a sense of responsibility, the importance of education and hard work, and a passion for community service. After graduating Old Dominion University in the fall of 2000, I applied to St. Mary’s Law School and hopped on a plane after learning of my acceptance to their law program.  For the past 24 years I have made San Antonio my home surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, friends, and my loving dog Olive.   I am blessed to have a family I love as friends, and friends I love as family.

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EDUCATION

    When I started school at St. Mary's, I discovered the study of law suited me well.  After my first semester, I made the Dean’s List, was invited to join the honor fraternity, Phi Delta Phi, and received an academic scholarship from the Hispanic Initiative Endowed Scholarship fund. For my second year activities, I received a position on the St. Mary’s Law Journal as a staff writer, I participated on the St. Mary’s Moot Court team, I served as an officer of Phi Delta Phi, and I tutored first year law students in Constitutional Law. For my final year in law school, I supervised staff writers for the Journal as a Senior Associate Editor, I won the 2003 Fall Moot Court competition, I published an article in the Journal, I advised first year law students as a teacher’s assistant for the Legal Research and Writing course, and I interned at the District Attorney’s office. Throughout all these activities and class work, I volunteered through Campus Ministry activities, was a member of St. Mary’s Women’s Law Association and Bexar County Women’s Bar Association, and volunteered for the Board of Advocates.

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PUBLIC SERVICE

     After graduating St. Mary's, I passed the Texas bar and started my legal career in San Antonio. Wanting to follow in my parents' and grandparents' community service professions, I always accepted opportunities to volunteer my professional services above and beyond my regular practice responsibilities.  For the last 17 years I have volunteered for the Courts in School program, participated as an attorney in Drug Court, Re-Entry Court, and STRIVE specialty court, and mentored law students in their class work and competitions.  While I enjoy helping all people, I particularly love working with juvenile clients.  I believe juveniles still have a lot to learn and while serving as their advocate, I also take the opportunity  to talk, to teach, and to mentor these troubled youths.  My hope is to teach young offenders the errors of their ways and help them to make better choices and to stay out of the criminal justice system.

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VOLUNTEER & LEADERSHIP

    While my legal work has been a career of public service, so has my personal life. I started volunteering in middle school with my church, and these small acts of kindness continued through high school and college in service clubs and my sorority, Alpha Xi Delta. After seven years of service, I am now a sustaining member of the Junior League of San Antonio.  While an active member, I volunteered at various community organizations including Goodwill of San Antonio, SA Food Bank, and the McNay Art Museum. I chaired the League's largest fundraiser, Holiday Olé Market, raising money to provide grants throughout the year to various non profits. I have mentored new members in their first year with the League and  active members with the COACH program.  Because of my outstanding work as a leader in our community, I was nominated for and accepted into Leadership Texas. After completing this leadership program in 2012, I became an alumni of Leadership Women and continue working with female leaders across the city.

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    The values my parents instilled in us Gonzalez girls follow me through my professional work and personal life. Education, hard work, personal responsibility, and community service enhance our community and should be included in the criminal justice system.  Serving as judge combines my family values, my personal and professional public service work, and my legal experience, and this combination is what I will bring to County Court #9 bettering our  San Antonio community.  As Judge of County Court #9 I vow to respect all who stand before me, I promise to provide efficient justice, and I swear to follow the laws of our great  State.