SELENE CEJA

Hometown: Los Angeles, California
School: University of Michigan Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy
Degree: Master of Public Policy
Placement: U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee

Selene Ceja was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles to undocumented Mexican immigrant parents. She is incredibly passionate about bridging the socioeconomic and education gaps faced by the Latinx community through economic opportunity and technology. A Hoya, Selene graduated from Georgetown University in 2013 with a B.A. in Government and English and is proud to be the first in her family to attend and graduate from college. She recently graduated with a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy focusing on Science, Technology and Public Policy (STPP) in 2020.

Prior to joining CHCI, Selene represented the Federal TRIO programs in Congress from 2013 to 2018, where she was critical at helping increase funding for first-generation, low-income students nationwide. Selene’s efforts contributed to securing over $170 million in funding increases and the first-time allocation of $1 Billion in 2018. She also successfully advocated for an increase in bipartisan and bicameral support for the TRIO programs resulting in the defeat of a House amendment to divert $60 Million from the federally funded program on the House floor making TRIO a bipartisan centric, household name in the U.S. Congress.

As a CHCI Fellow, Selene looks forward to contributing to critical conversations on how computer science education, training in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity can change create economic opportunity for future Latinxs. As a budding technologist and leader in technology policy Selene looks forward to obtaining a Master of Science in Data Science and a law degree part-time while pursuing a career in public policy with a focus on solving complex issues at the center of technological innovation, data privacy and economic policy.