Law school graduate and undocumented immigrant Jose Godinez-Samperio will speak at Eckerd College on Tuesday about his efforts to become a practicing lawyer in the United States.
Born in Mexico, Godinez-Samperio, 27, came to the U.S. with his family on tourist visas when he was 9 years old. The family stayed past the visa’s expiration, and Godinez-Samperio grew up in the Tampa Bay area.
Godinez-Samperio learned English, graduated from Armwood High School in Hillsborough County as valedictorian, and attended New College in Sarasota.
He completed his education at Florida State University and graduated from its law school with honors in 2011. After passing the Bar exam and the moral character test, Godinez-Samperio spent 2 1⁄2 years figuring out how he could become a practicing lawyer in the U.S. Applying for citizenship would have required him to leave the U.S. for years.