Ariel Nochez Marcia 

Congressional Intern, Presented by Phillips 66  

Hometown: Germantown, Maryland  

School: Washington University in St Louis  

Major: Computer Science; Linguistics  

Placement: Office of Rep. Luz Rivas   

Ariel Nochez was born and raised in Germantown, Maryland to Salvadoran parents, who immigrated to the United States following the Salvadoran Civil War in search of safety and opportunity. As a first-generation college student, Ariel grew up with a deep appreciation for education, hard work, and belief that technology can be a tool for justice.   

His passion for public interest technology began while working at Unlocked Labs, a nonprofit dedicated to reducing recidivism by teaching coding in prisons and expanding digital access for returning citizens. Since then, Ariel has interned at TechCongress, supporting efforts to bring technologists into congressional offices, and conducted research at Cornell University exploring how protoroles can shape more human-centered AI models. Most recently, he interned at the Brookings Institution, working with the AI and Emerging Technology Initiative on issues that are the intersection of policy and innovation.  

Ariel is a student at Washington University in St. Louis, where he studies Data Science, Linguistics, and Speech and Hearing Sciences on a full scholarship through the QuestBridge National College Match. On campus, Ariel serves as a mentor through the TRIO Scholars and Mckelvey Believes programs, supporting first generation, limited income students through tutoring and mentorship.   

Although still exploring future paths, Ariel hopes to use his technical background to advance ethical, community-driven approaches to technology and policy. As a CHCI intern, Ariel hopes to deepen his understanding of the legislative process and explore how public policy can inspire more equitable technology.