Rafael Escalante

CHCI Public Policy Fellow Presented by Johnson & Johnson
Hometown: West New York, New Jersey
School: Rutgers University-New Brunswick
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Placement: House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform

Rafael Escalante was born and raised in San Cristóbal, Venezuela. He arrived in the United States at the age of 17 after fleeing the authoritarian regime of Nicolás Maduro. His lived experience as an asylum seeker and a working-class New Jerseyan has shaped his lifelong commitment to advancing democracy and the civil rights of immigrant communities in the United States. Rafael graduated summa cum laude from Rutgers University–New Brunswick with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in public policy.

During his time at Rutgers, Rafael interned in the United States Senate and with the Civil Rights Division of the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. He also worked at Make the Road New Jersey, a leading immigrant rights organization, where he supported dozens of first-generation, low-income students in their college application process and advocated for stronger labor protections for workers exposed to extreme temperatures. During his junior year, he served as President of the Rutgers University Democrats transforming the group into New Jersey’s largest student-run political organization. In the summer of 2025, he was selected as a Public

Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellow at the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, where he completed graduate-level coursework and worked closely with leading public service professionals and educators. Most recently, as a Global Leader for the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, Rafael served as a legislative intern for the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman Rob Menendez and as a Public Affairs intern at UPS’s Global Public Affairs division.

As a CHCI Public Policy Fellow, Rafael hopes to deepen his understanding of the legislative process, gain hands-on policymaking experience, and build lasting relationships with fellow public servants. In the long term, he hopes to pursue a graduate degree in public policy and continue building a career in public service, focused on expanding opportunity and representation for immigrant communities across the United States.