Stacey Berdejo, PepsiCo Foundation Law Graduate Fellow
Hometown: Melrose Park, Illinois
School: DePaul University
Degree: Juris Doctor
Placement 1: Office of Representative Jan Schakowsky
Placement 2: Office of Senator Tammy Duckworth
Stacey Marie Berdejo was born in Tyler, Texas and was raised in Illinois. She earned her Bachelors of Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, majoring in Political Science and Sociology. In 2016, Stacey graduated from DePaul Law School, with a focus on Criminal defense.
Throughout law school, Stacey worked as a legal extern at the Cook County Public Defender’s Office as well as a private criminal defense firm. She received valuable experience and an insider’s view into how different policies and laws affect the lives of every day citizens. She was able to humanize legislative language and learn how public polices affect the average person. In her free time, Stacey volunteered at the Domestic Violence courthouse helping victims file emergency restraining orders.
As a CHCI Law Graduate Fellow, Stacey is excited to learn more about the federal government and apply her legal background to the public-policy making process. She hopes to use her skills she has gained in the fellowship to help disenfranchised communities across Chicago.