A native of Calcutta, India, Chandani Flinn has experienced much change in her life, but her passion for helping people has remained constant. That is seen in her career choices, including her current position as executive director of STAR/PAL, San Diego’s Police Athletic League chapter.

“I love the mission of STAR/PAL, which is to provide services to underserved children to help them make positive life choices through positive programs and positive mentorship,” says Flinn.

Flinn joined STAR/PAL after seven years as a San Diego deputy city attorney. During that time, she received several awards, including Prosecutor of the Year and Peacemaker Award for her role in creating the Mid-City Prostitution Task Force. Designed to reduce prostitution in a problem-plagued area, the task force created community programs to help rehabilitate prostitutes and johns. The Prostitution Impact Panel was so successful in rehabilitating johns that it is a model for other cities. “By the time I left, we had more than 300 john offenders go through the program, and we were getting national recognition for it,” says Flinn. So far none of the men who participated have been arrested again for that offense.

Flinn, 33, became interested in the law at age 10 when she met a judge who encouraged her to be a lawyer. The encouragement led to graduating with honors from UC Berkeley with a double major in legal studies and political economy, and a degree from the UC Hastings School of Law.

When Flinn is not busy helping the community, she enjoys spending time with her family, which includes her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her pugs, Magnolia, 4, and Juniper, 5 months. “My family and my husband are very important to me,” says Flinn. “I count them as blessings.”