Natalie Nuñez 

CHCI Public Policy Fellow   

Presented by ConocoPhillips  

Hometown: Paterson, New Jersey  

School: University of Virginia  

Degree: B.A. in Public Policy and Leadership & Global Development Studies   

Placement: The Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Natalie Del Carmen Nuñez (she/her) was born to two hardworking Dominican immigrant parents. Growing up in Garfield, NJ, Natalie witnessed firsthand the structural inequalities faced by her community. Despite these challenges, home taught her that “donde comen uno, comen dos” — equipping her with resilience, determination, and a deep sense of community that laid the foundation for her leadership journey.  

Eager to address the equity issues she observed, Natalie attended the University of Virginia, overcoming obstacles as a low-income, out-of-state Latina. She pursued a double major in Leadership & Public Policy and Global Development Studies. During her first summer at UVA, she served as the Administrative Lead and GovChallenge Deputy Director for Lead for America, a national public service non-profit. As a proud mentee and mentor of the Hispanic Peer Mentorship Program, Natalie served as community co-chair, vice president, and co-president of Political Latinxs United for Movement and Action in Society (PLUMAS). Through PLUMAS she engaged in mutual aid, direct action, political education, and community collaborations, learning the importance of intentional collective action for tangible change. Throughout her undergraduate career, Natalie executed numerous projects focused on social justice, ranging from letter writing campaigns for detained youths, open mics, and political education workshops. Following graduation, she returned to New Jersey as a Family Engagement Specialist at a local non-profit. There, she supported hundreds of families via trainings on child abuse & neglect prevention, developmental screenings and activities, subsidy applications for affordable childcare, and connecting families to resources they deemed necessary to thrive on their own terms.  

As a CHCI Public Policy Fellow, Natalie seeks to gain practical insight on the legislative process, particularly as it pertains to equity-based policies in education and housing In doing so, she hopes to ensure that disenfranchised communities are not only put at the forefront of proposed solutions but are actively involved in every step of the public policy process.