By Keemia Zhang
The Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment (CLEE) at Berkeley Law is a hub for student professional development, serving as an engine of economic mobility and career readiness for students across a wide spectrum of fields. Among these students is fourth-year undergraduate Rosalie Güitrón, a first-generation student who credits CLEE with providing the resources and knowledge she needs to pursue her legal career.
Rosalie’s role as an ‘engine of mobility’ is fueled by the generosity of CLEE’s donors, whose support of CLEE’s work-study program provides a foundation for first-generation students to gain professional ‘boots on the ground’ experience. By funding work-study positions, CLEE’s philanthropic partners ensure that students can pursue their dreams in the climate and legal fields while earning the paycheck they need to graduate debt-free.
Rosalie’s determined work ethic is rooted in her background. Starting in high school, where she balanced her academic load with shifts in fast food and customer service, Güitrón says she learned to adapt quickly. “I’ve balanced work and school since I was 16,” Güitrón says. “Working hard at a young age helped me get to where I am now.”
She first began her path at Berkeley Law as a student assistant in the Financial Aid office, where she tracked loan repayments, and coordinated student appointments. “[It] helped me dip my toes into a more professional workplace setting for the first time,” Güitrón says. “It was different from any job I’d had before, and the experience strengthened my communication, organization, and other administrative skills.”
Güitrón began working at CLEE just over a year ago. Her exceptional organizational abilities and people-first approach quickly made her invaluable, allowing her to assist across a broad range of projects, including donor relations, web design, and communications.
“I could tell even before I started that it was an important organization doing work that affects not just this school or this state, but the whole world,” she says. I was honestly a little intimidated by that, but also really inspired by the idea of being part of something that creates real change.”
According to Güitrón, her position at CLEE has also helped her build a diverse breadth of skills, knowledge, and confidence to take part in the conversations and projects she cares about. Among these projects is the Subnational Methane Action Coalition (SMAC), in which Güitrón has invested significant time.
“[SMAC] has given me the opportunity to learn about one of the planet’s most harmful pollutants, methane, and how to work to reduce it,” Güitrón explains. “I’ve had the chance to correspond with international state representatives and nonprofit organizations, helping share strategies and information on how to take action against this global issue.”
Güitrón also credits CLEE with broadening her expertise on environmental and climate issues from a policy-first perspective. “Before joining the CLEE team, I was unaware of the extent to which environmental racism affected communities like my own in San Bernardino, California, where warehouses and industrial sites regularly surround residential areas,” Güitrón says. “Working with CLEE and gaining exposure to the policy tools behind real change has deepened my understanding of environmental injustice and strengthened my commitment to doing something about it.”
As she wraps up her senior year at Berkeley, Güitrón is completing a degree in Legal Studies, with double minors in Political Economy and Spanish. “After becoming the first in my family to graduate college, my ultimate goal is to also become the first attorney in my family,” she declares. Güitrón is currently applying for public service fellowships as she maps out her next steps.
As Güitrón prepares for graduation with strong academics and an impressive resume, she credits her experience at CLEE with shaping her understanding of what her future could look like.
“CLEE’s has shown me that meaningful change comes from well-informed policy that turns ideas and passion into action at scale,” Güitrón says. “My biggest aspiration is to make an impact on people─whether that’s by helping them through their legal situations or inspiring them through my journey as a first-generation Latina pursuing law.”
The project was made possible by support from the Erin Ziegler Fund, an endowment for the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment within Berkeley Law.