Escrito por: Dulce Ortiz 🇬🇹
Headshot of Guilianna Berrocal Velez. (Diana Rivera)
Being two years short of becoming a lawyer in Peru, Guilianna Berrocal Velez decidió comenzar
de cero y regresó a los Estados Unidos a perseguir su sueño de graduarse en una universidad
americana.
She is more commonly known as "Kamila," a nickname given to her by her mother and family
since she was a child, and uses her name differently depending on the situation, whether
professional or social.
Though born in New York, her family returned to Peru when Berrocal Velez was a year old. She
had a great life there, surrounded by family, friends, and the immersive culture the country had to offer. It wasn’t until the COVID-19 pandemic when she felt that image change.
“Perú se estaba hundiendo de la inestabilidad política y la recesión económica”.
“Gracias a Dios, mis papas no han sido afectados como otras personas. Pero como quiero ser
abogada del bien, sabía que en el país en donde estaba había mucha corrupción. No veía un
futuro siendo profesional ahí como una buena persona.”
Having her pre-existing citizenship to the U.S., she went through the process of transferring to
UMD in 2021, selecting the school because it was closest to her extended family in the States.
When first arriving, Berrocal-Velez shares that it was rough, especially when it came to meeting
new people and overcoming the language barrier.
“One thing is learning English in an institution in Peru and another is moving, talking, and
listening here every day - it’s a lot for me to process.”
The transition eased after joining different clubs on campus and working at the local Playa
Bowls, allowing her to find a friend group from similar ethnic backgrounds that provided her
comfort and a sense of belonging.
Con un plan original de estudiar gobierno y políticas, se cambió para criminología y justicia
criminal después de haber encontrado más pasión y oportunidades en áreas investigatorias y la
ley inmigratoria.
“Cuando vivía en Perú, no sabía la magnitud de lo que era ser Latina en los EE. UU. No sabia de
todas las barreras que habían contra las mujeres y las mujeres Latinas. Las puedes sobrepasar
pero igual, siempre van a estar ahí sutilmente.”
This unique viewpoint inspired her to be a part of UMD’s first Latino Pre-Law Society,
established in 2024, which hopes to inspire and create safe spaces for Latinos with a passion for
law. As vice president, she is excited by the generative progress the organization has made.
“Cuando sea abogada, quiero hacerlo para ayudar más estudiantes Latinas para que se sientan
cómodas en una misma para que no le tengan miedo a nada y puedan derrumbar esas barreras
que existen. Es una meta que en Perú, no se reconoce tanto, pero acá sí, y me siento muy
orgullosa de ser Latina.”
Upon graduation, Berrocal-Velez will be working as a legal assistant in a law firm and studying
through a scholarship program for the LSAT in October.
She’s thankful to everyone who believed in her, especially her parents.
“They believed in me more than I believed in myself. And they are always the ones that had my
back for every single thing.”
Through their guidance, she has come to learn que “eres mucho y más capaz de lo que crees que
eres capaz de hacer. If you want something, you just go for it.”
Overall, Berrocal Velez is proud of having taken the risk to come to the US, noting that “la vida
es una, so why not?” She adds “Sin eso [dejar su país], no me haría la mujer que soy hoy dia;
mas confiada, sencilla, y con mucho más deseo de progresar y ayudar a los demás”.
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