She grew up in Redondo Beach and attended the University of California, Los Angeles and the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Political Science and minored in International Relations. Vanessa graduated from Loyola Law School, where she was the co-vice president of La Raza and an active board member of Loyola’s Student Bar Association. Additionally, she volunteered for Loyola’s Young Lawyers Mentorship Program, where she helped mentor a team of high school students in a mock trial competition.