Citlalli Ortiz Chavez

Hometown: Long Beach, California
School: Long Beach State University
Degree: B.A. in Communication Studies
Placement: The Office of Senator Alex Padilla

Citlalli Ortiz is a proud Long Beach, California native. With the encouragement and support of her family, she became the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with a minor in Public Relations from California State University, Long Beach. At CSULB, Citlalli built a record of leadership in student government and advocacy for underrepresented students.

As Chief Diversity Officer for Associated Students Inc., she served as the President’s chief advisor and senior policymaker on diversity and social justice matters. As Senator-at-Large, she authored a policy resolution urging the university to recruit, hire, retain, and support Latinx faculty in proportion to its student population. She also worked with university administrators and student organizations to advance state legislation expanding in-state tuition access.

As Dreamers Study Abroad Manager for the California-Mexico Studies Center, Citlalli helped launch and manage eight summer study abroad programs, the first initiative of its kind in the country, serving 300 students across 2021 and 2022. She also organized three advocacy trips to Washington, D.C., leading participant training, legislative meetings, social media strategy, and logistics, and served as the organization’s spokesperson with Spanish-language and national media.

As the CHCI-Meta Public Policy Fellow, Citlalli hopes to deepen her understanding of the legislative process and help shape policy that expands opportunity for Latino and immigrant communities.