Eric Forteza Romero

Hometown: Miami Gardens, Florida 
School: Harvard University
Major: Government
Placement: The Office of Rep. Hakeem Jeffries

Eric was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, and immigrated to Miami-Dade, Florida when he was 10 years old with his mother and older brother. As a first-generation college student, he has worked relentlessly to give back to his community and serve as a role model for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth. On campus, Eric has worked with Harvard Votes Challenge to provide every eligible student with the opportunity and resources to vote, Harvard Citizenship Tutoring to help Harvard staff in every aspect of the citizenship process, and Harvard Democracy Matters to advocate for policy issues students are passionate about. Additionally, during his time at Harvard, Eric co-founded the non-profit organization Rhizome to increase youth civic engagement and voting turnout. 

Eric is currently a senior at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, majoring in Government on the Data Science track and minoring in History. Upon completing his undergraduate degree, Eric hopes to obtain a Joint Master’s in Public Policy and Urban Planning with a focus on how to advocate for housing and transportation investment that is accessible for low-income and BIPOC communities. His ultimate career goal would be to work for the United States government focusing on housing and transportation equity and policy. 

As a CHCI Intern, Eric hopes to improve his understanding of the legislative process and policy implementation and execution. Additionally, he hopes to gain new insights into how to create meaningful change for his community.