Kristen Lemus  

CHCI Public Policy Fellow

Presented by Altria 

Hometown: Chino, California 

School: University of Notre Dame 

Degree: B.A in Political Science 

Placement: Office of Rep. Norma Torres 

Kristen Lemus (she/her) is the proud daughter of immigrants from Chalatenango, El Salvador, and Guadalajara, Mexico. Raised in Chino, California, she discovered her passion for learning as a child through Head Start, a federal early education program for under resourced families. Forged by the instability of constant moves, Kristen found consistency in her studies and community—experiences that fueled her drive to amplify voices too often overlooked in politics and media. During the 2015 surge in discourse challenging Latinidad, she became determined to champion Latino political power to advance housing, healthcare, immigration, and climate justice policy. 

Nurtured by family to value education as an anchor – “si siembras, cosecharás” [if you sow, you will reap] – Kristen attended the University of Notre Dame as a QuestBridge scholar. She graduated cum laude with a B.A. in Political Science and minors in Public Service and Civil and Human Rights. She concluded her studies with a capstone exploring the disinformation economy and its effects on Latino political identity and democratic participation and received the Leadership and Public Service Award. At Notre Dame, she served in Student Government’s Sustainability Department, was elected to the board of the Student Coalition for Immigration Advocacy (SCIA) and worked on legislation to provide driver’s licenses to undocumented individuals in Indiana through the Notre Dame Student Policy Network. She also launched SCIA’s first flea market to support local immigrant vendors and celebrate cultural diversity, bringing the spirit of her hometown’s swap meet to campus. 

Off campus, Kristen volunteered with the Community Action Partnership OC, where she supported rental assistance and basic needs programs. She later studied Middle Eastern politics in Italy and explored Brazil’s judicial system and racial history. She also participated in the Notre Dame Washington Program, interning with the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and later worked at the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, where she focused on strategic efforts and outreach for Latinos. These experiences introduced her to the world of policymaking—a world she once thought was out of reach, but now works to make more accessible for others like her.  

As a CHCI Public Policy Fellow, Kristen is committed to translating lived experience into community-rooted policy solutions that reflect and uplift Latinos. Her long-term goal is to run for office and serve the neighborhoods that raised her.