VANESSA LAREZ

Hometown: Dallas, Texas
School: Southern Methodist University
Major: Corporate Communication and Public Affairs & Spanish

Vanessa Larez was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, by parents who immigrated from Durango, Mexico. At age 14, Vanessa and her family moved to Dallas, Texas. In 2018, Vanessa graduated with her high school diploma from Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy and an associate’s degree from Cedar Valley College. While in high school, Vanessa was active in student council, mock trial, and obtained various internships through the Dallas Mayor Intern Fellows Program.

As a recipient of the Dallas County Promise Mustang Scholarship, Larez began attending Southern Methodist University in the Fall of 2018. Currently a senior, Vanessa is double majoring in Corporate Communication & Public Affairs with a concentration in political communication and Spanish, as well as minoring in History, Human Rights, and Latin American & Iberian Studies. Her coursework has deepened her passion for advocacy and community engagement. While at SMU, Vanessa had the opportunity to study abroad in 2019 in London to learn about global communication strategy and political philosophy. Since then, she has completed an internship with a Dallas education nonprofit, an education politics fellowship, and a research fellowship with the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics and Public Responsibility at SMU.

​As a CHCI Intern, Vanessa hopes to gain experience in conducting legislative research and learn more about what the legislative process looks like internally. She hopes to use this experience to elevate her skills and make valuable connections so that she can continue to be an advocate for her community.