CHCI-Coca Cola Congressional Intern
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
School: Northwestern University
Major: Social Policy
Placement: The Office of Representative Jesus “Chuy” Garcia
Nancy Contreras-Alejandre was born and raised in a primarily low-income Mexican-American neighborhood in the Southwest Side of Chicago, where she learned to value the efforts of undocumented families like her own. Her passion for advocacy and love of her community began in her last years of middle school when she started helping with immigration reform campaigns that would allow undocumented residents in Illinois to receive a driver’s license and ensure security. This passion continued in high school when she lobbied with local non-profits for the passage of bills such as the Trust Act to increase rights for undocumented students and to create an elected school board for Chicago Public Schools. Her lobbying experience sparked her passion for education and financial equity.
Nancy is a Junior in Northwestern University’s School of Education and Social Policy. She is a Social Policy major and Latina/o Studies minor who plans to attend law school and pursue a career in civil rights law and become an immigration attorney in the public sector. She hopes to help eliminate barriers to legal aid and provide legal services for immigrant families.
As a CHCI intern, Nancy hopes to create meaningful networks with peers, meet potential mentors from fields of interest, and get a glimpse of the inner-workings of her country’s leadership.