Silvana Navia

Congressional Intern, Presented by UPS Foundation  

Hometown: Corona, New York  

School: Barnard College  

Major: Sociology  

Placement: Office of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez  

The proud daughter of Colombian immigrants, Silvana was born and raised in Queens, New York. Witnessing the struggles faced by immigrant communities as a child, she became passionate about addressing these inequalities. Surrounded by a community of trailblazing women, Silvana has been shaped to become a changemaker in her community. She strives to create meaningful global change, while honoring her roots and empowering others to do the same.  

Silvana recently graduated from Barnard College, where she studied Sociology and Education. At Barnard, she devoted herself to supporting marginalized communities and first-generation, low-income students like herself. Silvana has led an educational program for immigrants at Columbia’s Community Impact, provided mentorship and tutoring to underprivileged students, and served as a campus Writing Fellow. As a Laidlaw Scholar, she conducted research on migration and extended her work through the Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service, where she provided humanitarian aid and legal support to migrants. Her unwavering commitment to law has earned her the esteemed title of a torchbearer at Barnard and membership into Phi Beta Kappa.  

Interested in the intersection of law, technology, and policy, Silvana plans to attend law school to become a practicing attorney. She understands the profound impact of policies on society and seeks to complement her legal knowledge with a deeper understanding of the legislative process. As a CHCI Intern, Silvana aims to understand how technology and immigration federal policies are created and enforced, enabling her to contribute to more informed, equitable, and innovative policies in the future.