Committing herself to the social movement of the sixties, Graciela Olivarez built her career working on behalf of the underprivileged in Arizona. In 1965, Olivarez was introduced to the President of Notre Dame University. Impressed with her intelligence and service to the poor, he invited her to enter Notre Dame School of Law. Accepting this offer, Olivarez, 42 and a high school dropout, became the first woman to graduate from Notre Dame School of Law. Resuming Public Service work after graduation, she became the highest-ranking Latina in President Carter’s Administration, earning the title as “Washington’s Top Advocate for the Poor”. Her untimely death in 1987 left a legacy of Hope for thousands of women.