Born and raised in South Central, Los Angeles, Frank Godinez is a junior majoring in Sociology and Political Science. His passion to drive social change and to mobilize Black and Indigenous communities of color is fueled by his lived experience and informed by his academic journey. Frank has focused his scholarship on the following areas: urban poverty, carceral capitalism, and the police state. His current research project focuses on police nonprofits and private funding of police departments in California. He is interested in influencing policy through research while teaching at a local university or community college and organizing in his community. He plans to pursue a joint J.D. and Ph.D. to implement sociological theory and praxis into a critical approach to the criminal legal system.