ELIZABETH ALEYDA HERNANDEZ

Hometown: Laredo, Texas
School: St. Mary’s University
Major: English
Placement: The Office of Sen. Jon Ossoff

Elizabeth was born in Laredo, Texas. Her parents taught her that she could be whoever she wanted to be if she wants it enough. Being raised in a border city taught Elizabeth about the struggles that immigrants face when trying to build a better life for themselves. As a Type 1 Diabetic, Elizabeth has faced hardships when it comes to receiving healthcare and obtaining basic supplies for her disease. She has raised thousands of dollars for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) and strongly believes that more awareness should be brought to the struggle of living with diabetes. She volunteers for various JDRF events, advocates for the Insulin 4 All movement, and does community service locally with La Casa de Misericordia, a local domestic abuse treatment center.

Elizabeth is currently a junior at St. Mary’s University with a major in English, a minor in Biology, and a Spanish Certificate. She serves as the Vice President of Harm Reduction in her sorority and participates in research organizations, and service-based organizations on and off-campus. After shadowing a federal judge, Elizabeth knew that the legal field was where she belonged. Elizabeth’s ultimate goal is to pursue and obtain a Juris Doctor degree in Health Care Law or run for Congress.

As a CHCI Intern, Elizabeth hopes to gain a greater understanding of the legislative process and work with committees that target health care inequality in the Latino community. She hopes to use her experience to make a change for the better on a global scale.