CHCI-Coca-Cola Foundation Public Policy Fellow
Hometown: Miami, Florida
School: Smith College
Degree: B.A. Economics
Placement 1: Office of Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Placement
Placement 2: U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
Maria Moscoso was born in Ecuador and immigrated to Miami, Florida at the age of six. As an immigrant and former potential DREAMer, Maria had advocated for immigration and social justice. She graduated cum laude from Smith College in 2015, where she earned her B.A. in economics after transferring from the Honors College at Miami-Dade College in 2013.
Maria’s interest in immigration and social justice prompted her to fight for undocumented students’ rights both in Miami, Florida and Northampton, Massachusetts. Maria learned the value of activism and organized grassroots campaigns through her involvement in student-led social justice organizations focused on undocumented students’ rights, like Students Working for Equal Rights and Organizing for Undocumented Students’ Rights.
Inspired by her participation in the Salzburg Global Citizenship Seminar and the Dubai Women’s Leadership Seminar, Maria has developed an interest in international affairs and human rights. Her recent position as a Parliamentary Intern with the National Assembly of Ecuador has also informed her on how mediation can resolve issues of regional security and foreign policy.
As a CHCI Public Policy Fellow, Maria hopes to increase minority representation in public policy spaces, particularly among Latinas, while learning how policy impacts marginalized communities on a global scale.