ALEXIS HERNANDEZ

Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
School: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne
Major: Political Science
Placement: The Office of Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia

Alexis was born and raised on the Southwest side of Chicago. At a very young age, she learned through her mother, who came to the United States from Mexico at 15 years old, the importance of advocacy and community engagement. She developed her passion for being a changemaker early on in her life by taking part in protests for union workers and immigration rights.

She is a first-generation college student and has continuously pushed herself to reach for big goals and empower her community. She has continued to develop a passion for learning about the United States immigration system by gaining experience working at both an immigration firm and non-profits throughout Illinois.

Alexis is currently a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign double majoring in Political Science with an emphasis on Civic Leadership and Sociology. Alexis, while in her undergrad has worked in AmeriCorps, offering guidance to individuals who could not afford legal representation and assisted individuals with language barriers in navigating the court system. Upon completing her undergraduate degree, Alexis hopes to earn her J.D. degree. Her ultimate career goal would be to become a judge at the federal level and developing non-profit community organizations across Illinois to empower the Latinx community.

As a CHCI Intern, Alexis hopes to strengthen her knowledge of the legislative process, as well as gain insight on U.S. policies regarding immigration and other issues impacting the Latinx community. She hopes to be able to use this experience to empower students with similar backgrounds and to develop an understanding of Congress as a vehicle for change.