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Cynthia Inda
Presentation to the SB Council for Self-Esteem - 04/16/10
The day was a Santa Barbara success--a perfect temperature, sparkling sun and a clear blue sky. We arrived at the Schott Center early and found the room more ready for a class than a self-esteem talk. The chairs were perfectly arranged and between them in front was a projector. This would be the first time in 21 years we would have a presentation with slides.
When Cynthia Inda arrived, the audience found her to be fair, young and beautiful. We were anxious to hear her story. Bob Hodges gave the following introduction:
“Our speaker today is Deputy District Attorney Cynthia Inda. I have added Cynthia to my list of movers and shakers. A list I reserve for people I believe are destined for high achievements. I only have time in this introduction to hit the highlights of her career path to date.
She was born to Mexican immigrant parents here in Santa Barbara. She is the first in her family to pursue higher education.
- Attended SBCC, graduating with a 4.0 average.
- Selected to the USA Today All American Two Year College Academic 1st Team.
- Attended Harvard University, graduating magna cum laude.
- Received her law degree from Stanford Law School.
- During law school, Cynthia was selected as Executive Editor of the Stanford Law Review.
- Taught high school at a maximum-security prison for juvenile offenders.
- Began a nine-month leadership training program as one of eleven Coro fellows in public affairs in Los Angeles.
- Worked as a Victim Advocate in the office of the district attorney here in Santa Barbara.
- After practicing law with a large, private law firm in Los Angeles she became, and currently holds the position of, Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney.”
Today, she speaks on the subject of self-esteem and how it has been a part of her personal and professional growth.
Cynthia began by explaining her background and showing photos of her parents’ home- town in, Nayarit, Mexico. She shared that their home had no hot water and a dirt floor. The people in the town were ranchers and were very poor. Her mother and father’s work prevented them from making it past the second grade.
Cynthia’s parents had six children in Mexico. Initially, her father worked in the fields for two dollars an hour. After moving the family to Santa Barbara, her father became a dish washer at the Copper Coffee Pot Restaurant on State Street and later moved up to be a baker. Her mother was a maid.
Before she was born, her mother, who was 45, was warned by her doctor that her child might have Down Syndrome and might not be capable of caring for herself. Instead of being upset, Cynthia’s mother responded, “Oh, then she might be with me forever!”
Cynthia is15 years younger than her next youngest sibling. She and her family returned to their parents’ Mexican home town every summer. Cynthia even celebrated her Quincenera--a celebration for Mexican girls when they become 15 years old.
As a young girl, when other children asked Cynthia about her parents or saw them, she would sometimes feel embarrassed because they were different. They spoke no English and were often mistaken for her grandparents. Her mother was given a spinal injection by a physician and was never able to walk unassisted again. She still uses a walker today. Cynthia remembers crying as they put her mom in an ambulance and took her away.
Cynthia was partly raised by her sisters. During this period Cynthia skipped school, hung out with bad crowds, and, generally speaking, got into trouble. She said her self-esteem was quite low during this period. Cynthia’s junior high school counselor saw potential in Cynthia and sent her son over to tutor her after school. However, when her father came home and found the boy in the house, he told him to leave, because it was not customary to have an unaccompanied young man in the house.
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Cynthia Inda |
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Later, Cynthia moved in with a sister who was a single mother with 4 children. They moved into a trailer in the woods in Selma, Oregon. There was no phone and sometimes no running water. She found she could talk with her sister about her life and problems. Her sister was proud of her background and that pride rubbed off on Cynthia.
Cynthia went to a small charter school and found herself with people who really cared about her. It was easier for her to focus in that safe environment and she began to realize she wanted something more in her life. She realized that education was a way to freedom. No one in her family had ever gone to college. Her counselor in Santa Barbara told her that she needed to go to college. She even went to Cynthia’s home and helped her fill out the forms for Santa Barbara City College.
When Cynthia first started at city college, she was petrified! She started slowly and timidly. She worked very hard, however, and was highly motivated. She was encouraged to hit the highest mark and did, eventually graduating with a 4.0. She applied to about 15 colleges and Universities. She was accepted at Harvard, Yale, Berkeley, and other schools.
Cynthia eventually chose to go to Harvard where she initially struggled with getting accustomed to the amount of work. She slept very little and worked very hard. Then she learned how to choose classes and other methods to get by. During her first year at Harvard, Cynthia’s sister died of cancer. Cynthia graduated from Harvard, magna cum laude. From there she went to Stanford where she received her law degree and made the Law Review.
Because of the excellent slide show, the audience felt as though they knew Cynthia and her family when her talk was over. There were many questions from the audience and several people stayed to talk to Cynthia after her presentation. She almost missed her lunch reservation.
Cynthia Inda, turned her life around from not having much ambition about the future, to having high self-esteem, being proud of who she is, where she came from, and the education she has received. She took responsibility for her life, believing she had the power to change. She took risks, was willing to be scared and “do it anyway.” She learned to surround herself with people who supported her and who were willing to help her.
Home > Our Projects > Santa Barbara Council for Self-Esteem > Cynthia Inda
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