Aliyah Armstrong was just 10 years old when she entered the foster care system, an experience that profoundly shaped her life.
“It hurt. I had to go to foster care, and I jumped around a lot,” Armstrong shares. “I remember living with my auntie, and I experienced a lot of transition growing up. However, throughout that time, my mother remained my strongest advocate, relentlessly fighting to bring me home despite being caught in a broken system that wrongfully separated us.”
Armstrong was reunited with her mother when she was 13. “My mother’s strength, persistence, and unwavering love served as the foundation for who I have become,” says Armstrong. Watching her mother advocate for their family and navigate the judicial system, “without ever being given the respect or opportunity which attorneys receive,” inspired Armstrong to pursue law herself – not simply as a career, but as her mission to reform the very system that impacted their lives.
Despite her complicated upbringing, Armstrong is an incredibly resilient person. As a result of her experiences as a child, she says she recognized from a young age what she refers to as “the potential” in the law. “I understood that the law could also protect victims and vulnerable families. That’s when I knew I had to be a lawyer.”
Moving from Colorado to California just prior to the start of her freshman year, Armstrong had a choice to make about which high school she would attend. It was a collective decision made alongside her mother and Aunt Recheal Steward Brown. Ultimately, they chose Crawford High School—not only for its opportunities, but also because Armstrong’s aunt was a proud graduate. “In doing so, I would continue a meaningful family legacy, and I knew that’s where I had to go,” Armstrong expresses.
She recalls her freshman intake experience with enthusiasm, saying she told the school counselor that she wanted to be placed in the Law Academy program. “Her response was, ‘Are you sure?’ She then began telling me about other programs that the school had to offer. I simply said, ‘Put me in the program,’ and it just took off from there.”
Now, Armstrong is being recognized as the first Crawford High School Law Academy student to successfully follow the path from high school to an undergraduate education through to law school completion. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies, with a minor in Child and Family Development, from San Diego State University (SDSU) pointing out that her decision to attend SDSU was once again following in her Aunt
Recheal’s footsteps, who is also a San Diego State University graduate.
Armstrong graduated Cum Laude from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in December 2025. She took the California Bar Examination in February 2026 and is anxiously awaiting the results. She admits she was “shocked” to learn she is the first Academy student from her high school to successfully complete law school.
Crawford High School’s Law Academy operates in collaboration with the California Legal Pathways Collaborative (CLPC), an organization established by attorney Ruthe Ashley. Ashley undertook the difficult task of developing the program, because she wanted California’s legal profession to more accurately reflect its population. She worked alongside the California’s Department of Education to create Law Academies designed to serve students from public high schools. The Academies are housed within schools where at least 50% of the students are considered “at promise.” The program gives students the chance to learn about the justice system, civics and government, work with judges and lawyers, and provides a pathway from high school into the legal profession. What first began as six Academies in northern California has now grown to 25 Academies spread across the entire state, serving more than 3,100 students annually. CLPC is housed within the California Lawyers Foundation (CLF), the education and scholarship arms of California Lawyers Association (CLA).
Ray Beattie, Crawford High School Law Academy Program Coordinator and teacher recalls Armstrong fondly. “From the time I met Aliyah in my academy world history class, Aliyah let me know that she wanted to be an attorney. I encouraged Aliyah to be on the mock trial team. Aliyah joined the mock trial team and took on the role as an attorney.”
Armstrong’s academic excellence and community impact have been widely recognized. In 2019, she received the Dr. Bertha Pendleton Academic Achievement Award for outstanding academic achievement, presented by LaShae Sharp-Collins, President of the Association of African American Educators. She was also honored with a County of San Diego Certificate of Recognition from Fourth District Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, acknowledging that her scholarly pursuits would help her reach her highest potential.
That same year, Armstrong received a Special Commendation from Councilmember Monica Montgomery of the City of San Diego for earning the Napoleon Scholarship. She was commended by Shirley N. Weber, California State Assembly Member, for her outstanding achievement and commitment to excellence in education. Additionally, she received a California Legislature Assembly Certificate of Recognition and the “Touching the Spirit Award,” signed by Toni G. Atkins, as well as recognition from Todd Gloria for her community contributions that strengthen the State of California.
“I never felt somebody like me could be doing something so amazing,” Armstrong openly says. “I already felt like if the world ended tomorrow, I had achieved my dream, because I got to be part of the Academy, the mock trial team, and learn how to think logically and critically. The practical skills have really served me, because nobody really teaches you that. You are just expected to know how to be a professional.”
Armstrong describes her Law Academy opportunity as a miracle. “It felt like destiny. At first, it felt like I was choosing it. Now that I am older and a law school graduate, I feel like it was choosing me through God’s good grace.” She credits her Law Academy instructor and mentor, Monique Candor, as an enduring influence. “I am so grateful that Ms. Candor chose to teach when she did. She is a lifelong mentor.”
Candor served as a program lead for Crawford High School Law Academy program when she first met Armstrong. “Watching Aliyah turn the challenges of her youth into a career of advocacy is truly inspiring. Her personal history is precisely what will make her an invaluable asset to the legal profession,” Cador notes. “My teaching philosophy has always centered on the belief that equitable rules make life fair. And the practice of law is the ultimate tool for enforcing equitable laws while reforming those that are not. Having personally experienced the harm that flows from laws that are either unfair in themselves or unfairly applied, Aliyah is uniquely focused on ensuring that those under her legal care receive what she deserved growing up: excellent legal advocacy. I am so proud to be a small part of her journey and to watch as she continues to achieve her dreams.”
Ashley, CLPC’s Founder, is ecstatic about Armstrong’s success. “Each of these firsts from our Law Academies is joyful and inspiring,” says Ashley. “A huge thanks to the team at Crawford for nurturing Aliyah.”
Armstrong firmly believes that participating in the Law Academy experience gave her “a leg up” when entering law school. She notes that she already had a foundational understanding of legal concepts while many of her peers were encountering them for the first time. “I feel like I understood the broader picture and the importance of the laws we were studying, particularly constitutional law.”
Candor reflects that, “My goal at Crawford Law Academy went beyond the student’s academic success in high school, college, and even law school. Through targeted presentations, competitive activities and games, as well as one-on-one interactions with our local legal community, I aimed to teach each student how to command a room, present arguments, and engage with practicing lawyers and judges.”
In addition to her academic achievements, Armstrong gained hands-on legal experience through internships that further shaped her career path. She worked at the Veterans Legal Clinic under the guidance of Professor Nicole D’Ambroji, where she supported efforts to assist veterans with legal needs. She also interned at the Employee Rights Center, where she gained exposure to employment law and advocacy for workers’ rights. These experiences strengthened her passion for using the law to serve and protect vulnerable communities.
While attending both undergraduate and graduate school, Armstrong has worked as a family interventionist, supporting children with a range of abilities. She took on the role, inspired by her desire to better help her mom support her younger sister. As she transitions into her legal career, she hopes to serve as in-house counsel for the organization where she is currently employed.
“I am proud of Aliyah and all that she has accomplished as she waits for her Bar exam results and to become an attorney,” Beattie says. “This has been a goal that Aliyah has been working toward for many years.” He notes that, “I look forward to having Aliyah as a guest speaker in our Law Academy classes and being involved with our attorney mentor program for the academy juniors.
The recent law school graduate expresses deep gratitude to those who supported her along her journey. “It’s important to me to extend my heartfelt thanks, first to God and my church family, and then to my own family – especially my mother and my grandmother, Cecelia, whose warm love and unwavering support carried me through every stage. I am also thankful to my Auntie Rechael, Auntie Lisa, Cousin Greg, and Terrie.”
Armstrong is equally grateful to her mentors, Ticey Hosley and Erika Hiramatsu, whose guidance and encouragement, “played a significant role in my success.” She continues, “I give special thanks to Ruthe Ashley for her leadership and vision in creating opportunities for students like myself. There are so many people who have helped me along the way, and while I may not be able to name everyone, I carry their impact with me every day.”
“The journey through high school, undergraduate, and law school takes a village,” Ashley explains. “A village of teachers, administrators, and our local Advisory Councils. This is why we do what we do. We are so proud of Aliyah and can’t wait to witness her next steps.”
To learn more about CLPC, please visit: https://calawyersfoundation.org/our-work/youth-initiatives/
To support scholarship, mentorship, and legal career education, please go to: https://calawyersfoundation.org/
