I was born and raised as a foster youth in Southern California (Inland Empire) and the first in my family to attend a four-year university. I attended the University of California, Berkeley, with a double major in Political Science and Global Studies and specialties in International Relations and Peace and Conflict in Asia. I am a Gates Scholar and Hispanic Leadership Scholar and graduated with highest honors (summa cum laude) in both majors.

My work experience spans political campaigns, policy advising, grant writing, and operations. Some recent and notable employers include the Center for Effective Global Action, UCSF’s Juvenile (in)Justice Behavioral Health Lab, Alvea (a biotech startup), and the United States Congress House of Representatives (Representative Pete Aguilar). I also hold the title of youngest lecturer at UC Berkeley and in the United States, receiving my appointment in the Ethnic Studies department at 18 and teaching my first class at 19.

Currently, I am pursuing my MA in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey. At MIIS, I hold distinctions such as being a Michael Donnelly Research Fellow, Jonathan B. Tucker Scholar, and Kathryn Wasserman Davis Collaborative in Conflict Transformation Fellow. You can find out more about my research here.

In the rare moments when I am not working, I enjoy watching classic movies, providing pro-bono tutoring to low-income students, freelancing as a certified sommelier (WSET Wine and Spirits), and hiking.