Barbara Bernal Monrroy 

CHCI Tech Postgraduate Fellow  

Presented by Meta 

Hometown: Davie, Florida 

School: Indiana University Maurer School of Law 

Degree: Juris Doctor 

Placement: Senate Committee on Rules and Administration

Barbara (she/her/ella) grew up in Caracas, Venezuela, before moving to Davie, Florida. She takes great pride in being Venezuelan and works to make a positive difference in both Venezuelan and immigrant communities. As an immigrant with English as her second language, and through her passion for technology, civil rights, and positive change, she strives to become an inspiration for communities to advocate for others. 

Barbara attended Davis and Elkins College in West Virginia, where she earned her B.A. in Political Science, Criminology, and English (Writing Concentration). While there, she was a student-athlete who broke multiple individual and team records in swimming. She also held various leadership roles in clubs and organizations, including POLIS (Political Science Club), ISO (International Student Organization), the Criminology Club, the National Society of Leadership and Success, and Zeta Kappa Xi Sorority. During her time there, she volunteered at the Humane Society and served as an assistant coach for the Rays Swimming Team. In addition to her academic achievements, she was named the first-ever Latina Valedictorian in the school’s history. 

With a desire to advocate for different communities, she interned at the American Civil Rights Union in West Virginia, which touched her heart and sparked her passion for a career in public service. Driven by her commitment to justice, she pursued a Juris Doctor at Indiana University Maurer School of Law. During law school, she served as Vice President of Internal Affairs for the Latinx Law Student Association, Director of Policy Initiative for the National Latina/o Law Student Association and Founding President of the First-Generation Law Student Association. She was an active member of the Public Interest Law Foundation and volunteered with the LGBTQ+ Project. Additionally, she served as Symposium Editor for the Indiana Journal of Law and Social Equality, where she spearheaded the symposium titled “Liberatory Lawyering: Strategies for Transformative Change in the Modern Era,” which examined innovative approaches to lawyering that diverge from traditional methods employed during the civil rights era. She graduated from law school in May 2025 and received the Leonard D. Fromm Public Interest Student Award. 

Above all, Barbara values her experiences working with various public interest organizations, including the Indiana Democratic Caucus, the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida as a law clerk for Hon. Jose Rodriguez, Campaign Legal Center, the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration under Senator Klobuchar’s leadership, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. 

As the CHCI Technology Postgraduate Fellow, Barbara is eager to deepen her understanding of the legislative process, apply her legal expertise, and promote policies in the artificial intelligence sector, while also identifying solutions that will help Latinx individuals thrive in this new technological era.