She’s creating her own therapy, helping herself by helping others

At age 21, Magaly Mendez has battled more challenges than most people ever will.
The fourth year sociology student at UC Irvine grew up poor in west Los Angeles, the daughter of an overworked and undocumented single mom. As a child, she said, she suffered multiple incidents of sexual abuse. But her family didn’t understand the mental health consequences of that, she added, nor could they afford therapy.
Additionally, Mendez struggles with uncertainty about her immigration status. She came