Elizabeth Plasencia Reynoso

CHCI Postgraduate Fellow Presented by Meta
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
School: University of California, Los Angeles 
Degree: Master of Public Policy 
Placement: The Office of Senator Jon Ossoff

Elizabeth (She/Her/Ella) was born in Jalostotitlán Jalisco, Mexico and raised in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. Her inspiration to pursue higher education stems from her mother, a small business owner and devoted mother to three daughters. Her passion for public policy is rooted in her involvement with nonprofits and grassroots organizing during her time at Georgia State University, where she sought to address the educational disparities faced by Latinos in Georgia.

She previously volunteered with local nonprofits including the Latin American Association and Catholic Charities of Atlanta. She worked with chambers of commerce focusing on economic mobility for minority-owned businesses and concentrations within entrepreneurship, innovation, and workforce development in Georgia. Elizabeth studied supply chain management, marketing, and sustainability in Panama and Costa Rica while she attended Georgia State University. As a UCLA Master of Public Policy Student, she studied at the University of Tokyo and focused on interdisciplinary policy studies in health, energy, global finance, education, and international organizations. At UCLA, her applied policy project focused on identifying socio-economic obstacles for low-wage workers and increasing their participation in healthcare benefits. In Tokyo, she conducted research with the Center for Advanced School of Education & Evidence-Based Research and the Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education analyzing the concept of global citizenship and higher education attainment among international students. 

As a CHCI Postgraduate Fellow, her commitment is directed towards active involvement in creating comprehensive, community-centered legislation. Her core focus lies in promoting transparency, ensuring marginalized communities remain well-informed and engaged within policy-decisions. By actively participating in CHCI, she aims to amalgamate her insights into systemic inequalities at both local and state levels. This endeavor fuels her advocacy for a just and equitable society, one that embraces the diverse spectrum of community members.