Stephen was raised in Albany Oregon, and received his bachelor’s degree in Spanish Translation from Brigham Young University and his Juris Doctorate from the University Of Oregon School Of Law. Stephen first became familiar with the plight of immigrants while working as a missionary in the Canary Islands. He got to know many undocumented workers from throughout Africa and Latin America who had come to Spain in search of a better life. Unfortunately, these immigrants were often forced to deal with discrimination and poor working conditions. Stephen hoped to one day put his education to use by defending the rights of those who found themselves at the margins of society.
After his first year of law school, Stephen went to Peru and worked as an intern on a juvenile rights program sponsored in part by the inter-American Development Bank. During that time he worked with local judges and law enforcement officials to promote alternative sentencing for youth that focused on teaching social responsibility.
Stephen later worked as an intern at the Embassy of Peru in Washington, D.C., and formed part of the Judicial Cooperation Team. He helped translate important documents, and worked on facilitating extradition and prisoner transfer requests.
Stephen graduated from the University Of Oregon School Of Law in December, 2010, and is a member of the Oregon Bar. He enjoys basketball, following developments in politics and the media, and reading.