Our Team

We believe that our team of paralegals, case managers and administrative staff are second to none. Most of our staff has been part of our team for many years and are ready to help you with your case.

Astrid Escobar

Case Manager

Astrid has been with Rebecca Kitson law since June 2019. Astrid was born and raised in Albuquerque, NM. She obtained a double bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Psychology from the University of New Mexico and is currently pursuing her master’s degree. Astrid is fluent in Spanish and English.

Astrid has always loved to help people in general, and especially minorities, as she came from a family background of minorities. She is attracted to immigration law because it provides her with the opportunity to continue to work with people from diverse backgrounds. She takes pride in working at Rebecca Kitson Law because she helps to make changes for a better future for our clients. What Astrid likes about working at Rebecca Kitson Law is that she is surrounded by the best of the best, and although there are many challenges that come with the position, she knows she has a support system that will help when needed. In her spare time Astrid enjoys going to the gym, spending time with her family, dancing, singing, and traveling.

Daniel Rivera

Case Manager

Daniel Rivera joined our team in June of 2022. Daniel was born in Texas and raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi. He received his BA in Business Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi. He came to New Mexico in aspiration of attending the University of New Mexico and going to law school to obtain a JD. After visiting New Mexico and realizing the inclusive and welcoming atmosphere he decided on UNM. 

He decided to move to New Mexico and get into legal work before attending school. Rebecca Kitson Law caught his eye due to his interest in immigration law. Daniel is fluent in English and Spanish.

Daniel grew up in rural Mississippi where the Latino community was small, but tight knit. He grew up watching family and those in community who were undocumented struggle yet overcome barriers of their immigration status. He always tried assisting the community by offering translating services to those in need. 

Daniel loves working at Rebecca Kitson Law due to the team effort that goes into the work. It gives him the opportunity to be around those who are just as passionate about assisting those in the immigrant community. All the colleagues at RKL make sure to lift one another and ensure that we are all successful, that is what he loves about the positive atmosphere. 

In his free time, he likes to play video games, go hiking with his wife and dog, and go to concerts.

Estephanie Morales

Case Manager

Estephanie has been with our firm since December, 2022.
Etephanie is originally from El Paso, TX and moved to Albuquerque, NM when she was 9. She graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and American Studies. She plans to eventually go to law school. Estephanie is fully bilingual in Spanish and English.
Estephanie has always wanted to help her community and she finds it fulfilling and impactful to work in immigration law as her whole family is from Mexico. While most of her family now lives in the US she still has family in Mexico who wish to move but have dealt with many obstacles around immigration. The immigration process can also seem overwhelming, and as a first-generation college graduate she has always shared the knowledge she has gained with her family, so helping others with similar obstacles and wishes comes naturally to her. Helping others in similar situations as her family is important to her as her family is very special and meaningful to her.
She loves working at Rebecca Kitson law because it constantly reminds her of why she loves immigration law. Hearing people’s stories and unique perspectives gives her the opportunity to grow and learn, because every client is different.
In her free time Estephanie likes to spend quality time with her family and loved ones, especially her nephew and niece. She is a huge movie fan and enjoys being outside if there are no good movies out.

Mark J. Frederick

Office Manager

Mark has been the Office Manager of Rebecca Kitson Law
since 2012, overseeing operations, information technology,
financial accounting and business development. He is a
member of the ABA Practice Management division and has
consulted with numerous attorneys looking to start their own
solo or small practices. He previously managed John W. Lawit
PC dba Lawit & Kitson from 2009-2011 and the Historic El Rey
Theatre dba Puccini Productions from 2007-2009. He has a
background in legal technology, having worked for the IT
Department at the University of New Mexico School of Law
for six years. He holds a dual Bachelor of Arts degree in
Criminology and Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in
Signed Language Interpretation. Mark has travelled to over
12 countries, including a four-month stint performing
research in East Africa, and has studied French, Latin, and
American Sign Language.
Mark is a Company and Board Member for Mother Road
Theatre Company, served on the Board of the OLE Education
Fund from 2011 to 2019, was a volunteer interpreter for First
Unitarian Church for five years, and is an ordained minister
(non-denominational) who has officiated dozens of weddings.
Mark’s interests include baseball, beer, live music, and travel.
His favorite things about working for RKL are the firm’s focus
on personal and professional growth for its employees and
its ability to do good in its clients’ lives.

Laura Rhee

Client Services Supervisor

Laura has worked with the Rebecca Kitson Law for many years. In 2020 she left to pursue other interests, and returned in September 2021.

Laura is originally from Chihuahua, Mexico and Raised in Mesa, AZ. After high school Laura relocated to Albuquerque. She is an ongoing student, working towards a bachelor’s degree, but her mom duties have gotten in the way of her studies.

Laura’s immigration background attracts her to Immigration law. She immigrated to the US as a young child, and understands on a personal level what it’s like to jump all the hoops to obtain an immigration benefit. She enjoys helping the immigrant community and it brings her great joy to offer immigrants a path to legal status. She likes working at RKL because she gets to help her people in various ways.

Laura is a mom to two beautiful boys that keep her very busy. She is also highly involved with her local church in various capacities. in her free time Laura enjoys spending time with her family in nature, hiking, and spending quality time with her husband and their boys.

Yolanda Silva

Receptionist

Yolanda has been with Rebecca Kitson Law since January
2014. She has over a decade of experience in intake and
customer service, and previously studied Business
Technology at IIA. She is originally from Albuquerque, NM.
Yolanda is fluent in English and Spanish. She handles
incoming phone calls and walk-in
clients.
Her previous experience working with immigrants in the
family law system opened her eyes to the unique difficulties
they can encounter in their daily lives because of their status.
She loves that her position allows her to serve her community
and to work directly with families in need.
In her free time, she loves to cook, take road trips, and spend
time with her kids. She also loves to sing and dance. Yolanda
lives in Albuquerque with her two teenagers.

Diana Hernandez

Client Services Specialist

Diana Hernandez Joined our team in June 2021. She was born in Florida and raised in Albuquerque, NM. Her parents are from Chihuahua, Mexico. Diana is planning to attend UNM to pursue a degree in counseling and eventually complete a master’s degree.

Diana was attracted to the position at Rebecca Kitson Law because of how impactful, rewarding and life changing immigration law is. She has personal experience with immigration law as she comes from an undocumented family and understands the barriers an individual and family experience from not having a legal immigration status. She has witnessed with loved ones all the missed opportunities that they had because of their immigration status. She has also been able to see how impactful it is once individuals are authorized to work or leave the country and no longer fear deportation or leaving their family/ loved ones behind. She loves working here because she gets to be a part of this process working with the clients.

In her free time Diana loves to spend time with her husband and puppy, her mother, siblings, and especially her niece and nephew. She also enjoys working out and running or taking walks around the Bosque trails with her husband and puppy, Nala. She likes trying new restaurants or spending nights in listening to music while dancing around the house, or with her husband in the kitchen. She also likes drinking coffee while watching a romantic cheesy Netflix series and yes, she admits, she is a hopeless romantic.

Fredy Ramirez Villatoro

Program Manager

Fredy worked with the firm for a few years before moving to Guatemala in 2020. Fredy returned to work remotely for the firm in March 2023.

Fredy attended the University of New Mexico and graduated in 2018 with a degree in Languages (Spanish and German). He discovered halfway through his college career that he has a passion for geology and decided to minor in Earth and Planetary Sciences.

Fredy’s parents’ are first generation in their respective families to immigrate to the US. Therefore, the topic of immigration has always had an impact in his life and is something he is also passionate about. He understands the struggles a family goes through under this situation, having lived through it himself both as a child of immigrants and someone who decided to immigrate back to their country of origin. Migration is a human right and desire, but often a necessity and what he loves most about working at Rebecca Kitson Law is that he gets to help other families in this journey.

In his free time Fredy likes to collect cool looking rocks and minerals, especially while exploring and hiking volcanoes and new landscapes. He often collaborates with local environmental organizations in Guatemala to help them with small projects. Most recently he helped research local erosion patterns and soil conservation in farmlands. This work is important to him because it helps with the protection of the local climate and supports sustainable agriculture.

Madilyn Gogel

Administrative Assistant

Madilyn has been with Rebecca Kitson Law since September, 2022.

She is originally from Bel Air, Maryland, and moved to New Mexico in 2015. She is a current student at CNM with plans to transfer to UNM to complete a Bachelors degree. She has not settled on a specific major yet. Madilyn has been studying American Sign Language for the past 6 years and is currently working to learn Spanish.

Madilyn loves the working environment of Rebecca Kitson Law because of the incredible support system that offers encouragement and patience. She feels encouraged to learn and grow within the firm.

This position is the first thing that opened her eyes to the world of immigration law and has since given her the opportunity of doing something she loves. The experience of being able to be involved in something so positive and so impactful in peoples’ lives has been truly inspiring, and being able to do this with such an amazing team has been awe inspiring.

In her free time Madilyn enjoys reading, doing Pilates, traveling, and spending time with Friends.

 

Cynthia Herrera

Legal Assistant

Beatriz Acebo Loya

Client Services Specialist

Beatriz was born and raised in Chihuahua, Mexico, and attended bilingual schools growing up. This allowed her to learn and improve her English skills. She attended a community college in El Paso, Texas, and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and mass media production. Years later, Beatriz graduated with another bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and management systems. Beatriz has worked in the field of engineering design, as well as digital marketing, by starting and running an international e-commerce store with her sister.

She has dual Spanish citizenship from my father’s side of the family, and this experience is what attracted her to the world of immigration law. She has always been interested in helping people and working in fields that have a positive impact on the community. Beatriz has been able to do just that by working at Rebecca Kitson Law, and believes it is a space composed of individuals that truly care about their clients, and, therefore, work diligently to help them achieve their immigration goals. Beatriz believes it is a truly rewarding experience to be part of a talented team that strives to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

In her spare time, Beatriz enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with loved ones. She also loves to write and has won creative writing awards in her home state. Animal rights is also something she focuses on in her free time. She is passionate about contributing and volunteering in animal rights associations in her hometown, as well as rescuing and adopting stray animals and giving them a place in her ever-growing family.

Rebeca Ordoñez Goo

Client Services Specialist

Rebeca is from Tamaulipas, Mexico, and studied at Instituto de Ciencias y Estudios Superiores (I.C.E.S.T) to earn a bachelor’s degree in nutrition. Although she has finished her studies for the time being, she hopes to continue her education in the future and learn new skills. When Rebeca joined the team she had no knowledge about immigration law, but as she grew into her role, she also grew to understand some of the processes involved. What she likes about working at Rebecca Kitson Law is that all her coworkers try their best to uphold a good work environment. This has allowed her to experience good interactions and believes that with great teamwork anything is possible. Rebeca has played sports all of her life, but the one she dedicated the most time to was rhythmic gymnastics. She was in the sport for 8 years where she was part of the state and national team. She considers that this strengthened her discipline, and because she felt well disciplined, it allowed her to earn the highest grades in all of her university classes.

In her spare time, Rebeca loves to paint. Although she does not consider herself an expert painter, she really enjoys doing this hobby with her loved ones. She also likes dancing, reading, going to the gym, yoga, and watching series/movies. Rebeca lives in a city with a beach, so it is natural that she also loves to go for a walk, watch the sunset, have a drink with friends and enjoy the present.

Maureen Rodriguez

Client Services Specialist

Maureen studied at International University UNINTER in Morelos, Mexico, and earned a bachelor’s degree in communications. What attracted Maureen to Rebecca Kitson Law is her deep connection to her family experiences. She has family members who have struggled for years to have gain legal status in the United States and knows how difficult and unfair being an immigrant can be. That is why she likes helping others in this situation, and why she believes it is a fulfilling and rewarding experience.

In her spare time, Maureen is a certified makeup artist and enjoys a variety of different hobbies. She loves learning new languages and going to the gym. Marueen is a fan of documentaries and short films. She loves traveling, taking road trips with her boyfriend, and going to concerts.