As a child, Conrad Simon and his friends shared some favorite pastimes: chasing the
carrito (ice cream truck) for paletas and turning the street outside Nogales City Hall
into the perfect spot for a water fight.

In his own words, Conrad adds, “I grew up in Nogales, Arizona, a simple life in a
vibrant border town. It was a place where culture, food, and family were inseparable
— where we bought tamales from the woman selling them on the corner, counted
stars around bonfires, and chased the carrito for a cold snack on a hot day. Life there
was not complicated, but it was defining. Nogales taught me that joy could be found in
simple moments, and that a community is strongest when people share in each other’s
lives.”

That simple life, grounded in faith and community, is where his values took root.
Conrad is our first legal paraprofessional, an impressive one at that. He earned a
Master of Legal Studies from the UA James E. Rogers College of Law, graduating
magna cum laude. He is the first UA graduate to become licensed as a legal
paraprofessional.

He didn’t grow up knowing he would become a legal paraprofessional, but he’s always
known he was called to serve. “Service is the constant in my life, whether wearing a
uniform, volunteering, or working in my community.”

In the military, he stood with the Presidential Ceremonial Guard in Washington, D.C.,
served at the Pentagon, and was deployed overseas with NATO.

Years later, Tucson called him home. He married, built a family, and found a calling
that tied it all together. He says, “The best part of what I do is helping people who
might otherwise feel they have nowhere to turn. There is something deeply meaningful
about sitting with a parent in the middle of conflict, giving them tools to find a
healthier way forward, and watching the weight begin to lift.”