Paula Smith

Originally from Argentina, Paula was brought to the United States by her parents in 1999. Just two weeks later she started high school in California without speaking a word of English. She remembers how hard it was to communicate with her teachers, but also remembers how patient and helpful they were with her. In 2000, Paula and her family moved to Oregon, where she graduated from Wilsonville High School in 2003 and right after she attended Clackamas Community College for one year for general studies.

Paula worked many different jobs out of high school, searching for the career she was passionate about. Being undocumented herself, she suffered much mistreatment and many disappointments throughout her search. Before working at Vanderwall Immigration, Paula was familiar with some immigration applications and helped her family members to obtain their residency. That is when Paula realized that she really enjoyed helping people change their lives through immigration.

In 2009, Paula married her soulmate surrounded by her family and friends. She became a U.S. Citizen in 2012 and a mom to a beautiful boy in 2013. Paula enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. She loves getting together with her parents to eat a traditional Argentinian “Asado” every week where they only speak Spanish, so that her son is ready for his first trip to Argentina.

Languages: English, Spanish