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Alma Puente
LATINA ACTION DAY
2022 LATINA ADVOCATES
Gladys was born in Paraguay, in the city of Asunción, the oldest of three children. She is a married mother of two and currently lives in the city of San Fernando, California.
In her native country she prepared and studied for a university career, specializing in Mathematics-Statistics and Informatics, at the prestigious National University of Asunción (UNA), at the Faculty of Exact and Natural Sciences (FACEN) and at the Faculty of Polytechnic, Computer Science Career. She was a university professor for several years, as well as teaching at secondary schools and technical colleges. As a result of an agreement between Japan and Paraguay, she worked for the State’s telecommunications company for 15 years in an ambitious educational and engineering project at a national and international level
Abigail Medina is the eldest of three and a daughter of working-class immigrant parents. In her youth, Abigail was a part of the foster care system as well as in and out of different schools.
Abigail is the mother of five children, raised in San Bernardino and Highland, California. As a young mother, she worked in the tomato fields in central California to help support her family.
When she ran for the San Bernardino City Unified School District (SBCUSD) in 2013 after witnessing injustices with her son and other students in the district. She beat a long-time incumbent and has remained a strong advocate for students on the board since.
Abigail worked with numerous community organizations, including the Congregation Organized for Prophetic Engagement (COPE) as a parent organizer, the Health Advocates, and the California Association for the Gifted and the District African American Advisory Council. Further, Abigail has served as the executive director of Inland Region Equality Network (IREN), where she was focused on fostering an inclusive and safe space for members of the LGBTQ on a local level.
Alma Puente earned her Bachelors of Arts in English with an emphasis on Pre-Law and a minor in Legal Studies from Chapman University. During the Fall of 1995, Mrs. Puente had the privilege of serving as an intern at the U.S. Supreme Court in preparation for the career that she was excited to begin.
As a first-generation Mexican-American, Alma has made it her life's work to help people navigate the complexities of immigration law in this country. She volunteers with KIND - Kids in Need of Defense, MABA, LACBA and has worked with children in the foster care system as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (“CASA”). All of this hard work has culminated in her owning her own firm, The Law office of Alma D. Puente, focusing on immigration law, for the last 11 years.
She currently serves on the board for the Immigration Resource Center of San Gabriel Valley and as the Mayor Pro Tem for the city of El Monte.