For many students at the Colin Powell School, the pursuit of a career in public service is a calling born from lived experience. Hubert Rivas Rivera, a graduating senior and aspiring immigration attorney, is the embodiment of that mission.
From San Pedro Sula to New York
Hubert’s story begins in Honduras, a land of vibrant culture set against a backdrop of political instability. He recalls a childhood spent “playing soccer and eating baleadas on the streets of San Pedro Sula,” while simultaneously witnessing “insatiable corruption in everyday politics.”
The transition from the beauty of his homeland to the reality of its political collapse was stark. Hubert describes witnessing his country “fall into chaos and fire resulting in a dictatorship,” an event that eventually led his family to seek a new life in the United States.
However, the move brought its own set of challenges. “Our harsh immigration experience further informed the grave inequality and instability that politics provide for vulnerable communities,” Hubert explains. It was through these trials that he found solace in soccer, literature, and the arts to “escape and understand our world.”
Finding a Home at the Colin Powell School
Now in his senior year, Hubert credits the Colin Powell School with providing the bridge between his past experiences and his future goals. He notes that the school “placed me in the heart of an academic environment that teaches the necessary theoretical knowledge to combat systems and laws that further exacerbate inequality.”
As a Fellow in Leadership and Public Service and a member of the Honors Program in Legal Studies, Hubert has gained the technical and networking skills needed to navigate the complex world of law. These programs, he says, “helped me to connect with professionals making tangible changes in the legal field while also consolidating my aspirations to become a public servant. And as a member of the Honors Program in Legal Studies, I was taught fundamental legal and analytical skills and received guidance to complete my law school application.”
A Vision for the Future
When asked to describe the Colin Powell School in just three words, Hubert chose “caring, supportive, and resourceful.” It is this foundation that has prepared him for his next chapter: law school.
His goal is clear and deeply personal. Having navigated the American immigration system himself, his purpose is “to become an individual capable of providing a helpful hand to everyone undergoing the difficult immigration experience in America.”
Hubert’s Advice to Fellow Students
To his peers, Hubert offers a reminder to never stop exploring:
“I recommend remaining curious about everything. Stay open to taking classes outside your major. Read outside your usual readings. Learn more about our diverse world!”
