Alejandro Castillo

Congressional Intern, Presented by Walmart
Hometown: Altamont, New York
School: Union College
Major: Economics; Spanish and Hispanic Studies
Placement: Office of Rep. Analilia Mejia

Alejandro was born in Schenectady, New York, and raised in the nearby village of Altamont. As a second-generation Ecuadorian-American growing up on a small farm, Alejandro’s multifaceted identity has sparked interests in rural issues, language access, education policy, and civic engagement.

A student studying Economics & Spanish at Union College, Alejandro has leveraged his on-campus experiences to generate positive change in the community. A Spanish class, in which he translated pamphlets for a nonprofit, led him to an internship with the New York City Public Schools’ Office of Language Access, where he conducted and presented policy research regarding language access in the city. His college awarded him the Jacobson Community Engagement Fellowship to implement restorative justice practices at a local middle school.

Off-campus, Alejandro has pushed to promote civic efficacy among the youth. He works as a classroom intern with the People’s Perception Project (P3), a civic education organization, where he leads classroom instruction for a civics program in local high schools. Additionally, he served as a member of the Youth Strategies Policy Committee for the city of Albany. He hopes that his interdisciplinary work can encourage young Latinos to find their voices and become involved in their communities.

In the future, Alejandro plans on attending law school and becoming an education attorney. As a CHCI Intern, he hopes to gain insight into the legislative process and create meaningful connections with Latino leaders to inform and inspire his own leadership journey.