Valeria Sofía Velázquez Cotto

Congressional Intern, Presented by Walmart
Hometown: Caguas, Puerto Rico
School: University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras
Majors: Political Science
Placement: Office of Sen. Chuck Schumer

Valeria Sofía Velázquez Cotto was born and raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico, by her hard-working single mother. She attends the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, and is majoring in Political Science with a minor in Human Resources. Her grandmother and mother both faced difficulties during their educational journey due to language barriers, societal norms and economic problems. Witnessing the obstacles that limited the women in her family from reaching their full potential made her appreciate how their sacrifices paved the way for her to be where she is today.

Since the 9th grade, Valeria decided she wanted to pursue a career as a lawyer and combine it with public service. She has completed a legislative internship at the Capitol of Puerto Rico, and a congressional internship at the United States Congress. Both experiences were enriching and unforgettable opportunities, but what she appreciated most was the opportunity to experience firsthand what public service truly means. Valeria feels very lucky as an Afro-Latina woman to have had these great opportunities that are sometimes limited to people that look like her.

As a CHCI Intern, Valeria hopes to immerse herself more in a broader community of Latinos in public service and to further strengthen the knowledge she already has about the legislative procedures. Valeria is very excited for the semester that awaits her in Washington DC, and she hopes she can meet new people, make new connections and create an experience that will not only have an impact in her professional life, but her personal as well.