Fatima Joselyn Santillan  

Congressional Intern, Presented by Coca-Cola Foundation  

Hometown: Gainesville, Georgia  

School: University of North Georgia  

Major: Political Science  

Placement: Office of Sen. Raphael Warnock 

Fatima was born and raised in a low-income neighborhood in rural Gainesville, Georgia by her parents who immigrated to the United States from Durango, Mexico. As a first-generation Latina, she recognizes and values the sacrifice her parents made in immigrating to this country for her to have the privilege of obtaining an education. 

Fatima is current a student majoring in Political Science (pre-law) with a minor in Public Administration and Public Service at the University of North Georgia. On campus, Fatima is President of the Latino Student Association and strongly advocates for accessible education for students who are undocumented and DACA-recipients. Having seen the implications for students, she devised and founded the “Dream Center” at her university, dedicated to housing resources for undocumented students, such as scholarships, community-offered legal services, and professional academic advising.  

Upon completing her undergraduate degree, Fatima intends to obtain a joint JD and master’s in Public Policy. Her ultimate career goal is to pursue a career as an immigration attorney to gain experience in the legal field. Afterwards, she aims to transition into the role of an immigration policy analyst within the public sector. In this capacity, she will engage in comprehensive legal analysis to provide insights and recommendations for the improvement and modification of federal immigration policies. While in Washington, DC with CHCI, Fatima is committed to cultivating opportunities that did not previously exist for Latinos in higher education and helping her Latinx community adapt to a system that was not intended to serve them.