Maria Isabella Rodriguez

Congressional Intern, Presented by CHCI
Hometown: Fairfax, Virginia
School: University of Virginia
Major: Public Policy and Leadership; Music
Placement: Office of Sen. Ruben Gallego

Isabella Rodriguez was born in Washington, D.C., raised in Fairfax, Virginia, and is of Peruvian and Mexican descent. She grew up deeply connected to her culture through her grandparents in Virginia and in San Antonio, Texas, and seeing the prominent issues across both states has shaped her commitment to advocating for equitable policy for Latino communities.

Isabella is currently a student at the University of Virginia (UVA), majoring in Public Policy and Music. A classically trained pianist, she believes both the arts and government action are vital to public service. She is especially drawn to education policy and how legislation can work to improve access to quality education for Black and Latino students. As a research assistant at her university, she focuses on early childhood education in Virginia and the policy implications of different instructional practices. Through the Latinx Leadership Institute, she has also worked with peers to address issues impacting the Latino community at UVA and in Charlottesville.

Isabella is committed to uplifting historically underserved students and hopes to help develop policies that address systemic funding inequalities and increase access to leadership roles for young Latinos. After graduating, Isabella hopes to gain experience working on the Hill or with a think tank before pursuing a graduate degree in Public Policy. As a CHCI Intern, she hopes to deepen her understanding of how policy is shaped at the federal level and to develop as a leader, honing skills that will help her advocate for effective and representative policies.