Uriel Lopez Gonzalez

CHCI Public Policy Fellow

Presented by UFCW 

Hometown: Wenatchee, Washington 

School: Washington State University 

Degree: B.A. in Political Science 

Placement: The Office of Senator Jon Ossoff

Uriel Lopez Gonzalez (he/him) was born in Oaxaca, Mexico and raised in Wenatchee, Washington. Throughout his life, Uriel and his family have been impacted by policy enactment throughout all levels, given their identity and his parents’ work in the tree fruit industry. His Mexican mother, Sylvia, who is formerly undocumented, taught him the importance of staying discreet and vigilant about their status with his peers, while his father, Juan, instilled the Chilean immigrant’s love for the United States and principles such as Civil Liberties, Separation of Powers, and Federalism. The cultural duality of his upbringing and his parents’ hard work and discipline are driving forces to his passion for continued learning, civic engagement, and the advancement of Latinos in both public, non-profit, and private sectors.

Uriel went on to pursue a B.A. in Political Science Pre-Law at Washington State University Pullman. As an undergraduate student, Uriel focused on engaging leadership organizations throughout the WSU community. He served on the Executive Board of Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc. as the VP of Standards & Compliance overseeing 52 members in the Latino- based WSU chapter. He also worked alongside student-led organizations from both sides of the political spectrum, collaborating on efforts from undocumented initiatives presented to state legislators in Olympia, to political canvassing for the 2020-21 Georgia Senate runoff election in Atlanta, Georgia. After college, Uriel returned home to work with Enterprise Mobility through their Management Trainee Program focused on operational management, marketing and learning from the leadership and guidance of Central Washington’s predominantly Latine upper management.   

As a CHCI Public Policy Fellow, Uriel aspires to foster meaningful relationships with leaders in D.C. and gain a realistic understanding of the legislative process. Uriel also hopes to work on issues such as Latino worker rights and benefits, bipartisan immigration reform, and advancing the Latine footprint in Entrepreneurship, Venture Capital, and homeownership throughout the country. After the Fellowship, Uriel plans to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy or Jurisprudence and return to the private sector with hopes to one day empower the next generation of Latino leaders.