¡Hola!
A little about me…
Even as my parents raised six kids, my mom spent weekends and nights helping care for her aging parents. At the same time, my dad earned extra income teaching adults English as a Second Language classes, while also serving on the city council of our small South Texas town, population 3,000.
In the Cantú household there were no excuses for not doing your part. We all pitch in. We all look out for each other. Period. Punto.
The same expectation went for our academics. Through work study and scholarships, I made my way through college at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio. Raised to speak up for myself and never allowed to put limits on my dreams, I decided to become the first lawyer in my family. I realize Lubbock may seem like an unlikely place where dreams come true, but I’m a proud graduate of the Texas Tech University School of Law.
I’m the daughter of two public school teachers, who taught me by example that we all have the power to create the change we want to see.
Here’s to girl power! My daughters Olivia and Eva keep me both humbled and inspired.
Over a 24-year legal career, I have practiced at a small plaintiffs’ firm, litigated for the state of Texas as an assistant attorney general, and lead on complex civil litigation with a concentration in healthcare with a major firm. I have practiced law at virtually every level of our courts, with extensive, real courtroom experience.
In an era where we’re rightfully acknowledging privileges, let me say how fortunate my generation is for the strong women who came before us. Over the course of my career, I’ve seen dramatic changes in perspective and respect for women in the law, and the frequency of being mistaken for an assistant, or asked to get coffee, has dramatically decreased.
I’ve viewed my work in the community as accepting my responsibility to pick up the baton and carry the fight for equality forward.
As a member of the Hispanic Bar Association, I’ve taken every opportunity to speak on career days, volunteer to prepare students for mock trials, help with judging essays and grabbing any opportunity to remind young girls that they can be a lawyer, a judge or anything they want to be!
Looking back, I realize now that much of my community volunteer service has been dedicated to helping all children see their future without limits. I’ve served as PTA President, on the Board of AVANCE-Austin, and volunteered with JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) as an advocate for my amazing T1D daughter.
Today, I am running for District Judge to combine my experience in the law with my passion for community service, ensuring we have judges with experience who reflect the communities they serve.