CHCI-Shell Intern
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
School: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Major: Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Placement: The Office of Rep. Luis Gutierrez
Ana I. Artiaga was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised by a single mother in Chicago’s Mexican-American community of Little Village. Growing up in a poverty and violence stricken neighborhood shaped Ana into a resilient and goal-oriented activist.
Ana is a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign majoring in agricultural and biological engineering. She is an Engineering for Social Justice Scholar in the College of Engineering. As a research assistant for the Department of Curriculum and Instruction: Mathematics, Science, and Technology, Ana works on the Noticing and Using Students’ Prior Knowledge in Problem-based instruction (NUSPK) project. Ana is a proud and active member of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, and the Smithsonian Latino Center Young Ambassadors Program Alumni Network. Ana has an interest in tutoring children who speak Spanish as a first language who have difficulties learning English. Ana hopes to attend graduate school for higher education and is particularly interested in the effect a Latinx student’s background can have on STEM field selection and retention.
As a CHCI Intern, Ana is focused on fortifying leadership skills, developing mentorships, and increasing her knowledge on national policies in order to give back to her community. Ana hopes to change lives by empowering minorities to realize their full potential through education and service.