Faith Justine Mata

Congressional Intern, Presented By: Target
Hometown: Uvalde, Texas
School: Texas State University
Major: Psychology
Placement: The Office of Rep. Greg Casar

Faith Mata was born and raised in Uvalde, Texas. As the eldest in her family, she is the first to attend a university. Faith majored in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice at Texas State University where she graduated May 12th, 2023. She is no stranger to responsibility, time management, and a good work ethic. Most of these qualities Faith obtained by working two part-time jobs, going to school full-time, and being an active member of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. All this helped both her working-class parents make ends meet when times were tough.

As a recent graduate Faith’s senior year was anything but ordinary. On May 24th, 2022, Faith’s family suffered an unimaginable loss. The younger sister of Faith, 10-year-old Tess Marie Mata was murdered in her fourth-grade classroom along with eighteen other students and two teachers. Faith has turned grief into a form of advocacy. She helped with the Beto for Texas Governor Campaign, testified in front of the House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security in Washington D.C, and has even become the social media assistant for Lives Robbed, a non-profit organization created by victims of the Robb Elementary shooting. Faith does this to bring light to the gun violence we face in America today.

As a CHCI Intern, Faith hopes to become more knowledgeable of the legislation process and gain more leadership experiences to find better ways to serve her community and state.