Flor Canales

Hometown: Denver, Colorado
School: Claremont McKenna College
Degree: B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Placement One: Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Placement Two: Sen. Chuck Schumer

Flor Canales (she/her) was born in Baja California, Mexico, and raised in Denver, Colorado. At a young age, she witnessed the vast inequities faced by undocumented individuals in her community. As a DACAmented individual, she has experienced these inequities and uncertainties first-hand. These experiences, combined with her passion for public policy and social justice, led her to develop an interest in immigration policy and in fighting for her community.

Flor graduated from Claremont McKenna College (CMC) with a B.A. in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. During her time at Claremont McKenna College, she served as a first-year guide, a mentor for first-generation college students, and a member of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee for Claremont McKenna College’s student government. She also continued pursuing her passion for immigrant justice by co-founding Immigrant Rights Coalition at the Claremont Colleges, a student-led club aimed at raising awareness about immigrant justice. She also spent a semester in D.C. through the CMC Washington Program, where she interned with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Recently, Flor spent the summer and part of her senior year working with Emerson Collective as an immigration intern. She has also worked as a social media intern for Movimiento Poder, Aliento, and, more recently, NextGen America. In these roles, she learned about and created content related to immigration, voting rights, climate change, student debt, education, and reproductive justice—all things that Flor is extremely passionate about.

As a CHCI-New York Life Public Policy Fellow, Flor hopes to continue advocating for her community, pursuing her passion for public policy, and gaining a strong understanding of issue areas that affect her community.