Samantha Cortez-Renteria is a student of criminal justice, social justice and deaf studies at Nevada State College. She is also a peer educator and GEAR UP mentor on campus, where she helps low-income first generation college students stay in school and pursue a career that is of their interest. She is very passionate about the injustices that many people of color face within our criminal justice system and wants to contribute to making it better and actually serve the people in her community.