Activist. Strategist. Communicator.
Harvard Kennedy School
Public Policy Leadership Conference Scholar (PPLC)
The 21st Annual Public Policy Leadership Conference (PPLC) at the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS) is a highly selective conference focused on inspiring undergraduate students from historically underserved communities to pursue a career in public service. As one of 70 participants, I had the privilege to experience HKS, build connections with faculty, current graduate students, and high achieving undergraduate students from across the country.
Yale Program on Climate Change Communication
Public Voices Fellow at The Op-Ed Project | 2020-2021
As a 2020 Fellow, Irene developed expertise in pitching to local, regional, and national media outlets, centering underrepresented perspectives as a published writer in Forbes, Zora, Prism, Teen Vogue, Live Kindly, and Futuro Media, among others. Simultaneously, she diversified and amplified the voices driving climate change action, advocating for environmental justice by providing authentic cultural insight on BIPOC communities and centering the intersectionalities of various fights for justice.
Congresswoman Deb Haaland
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute - Communications Intern | Fall 2019
As a CHCI intern for U.S. House of Representatives Congresswoman Deb Haaland, Irene created and distributed social media content, press releases, speeches, and scripts for a regional and national audience of historically underserved Indigenous, Latinx, Black, etc. populations in traditional media and non-traditional mediums. She also provided authentic Latinx cultural insights as a media professional by bridging the gap between Indigenous and Latinx communities through intersectional and bilingual social media campaigns for cultural heritage months.
The University of Chicago - Harris School of Public Policy
Policy Scholar & Cohort Lead | Summer 2019
As a 2019 policy scholar and cohort lead, Irene developed quantitative analysis skills to make evidence-based decisions in the policymaking and legislative process. She also sought solutions and informed policy through a capstone analysis on hate crimes in the U.S. after the 2016 election.
UC Berkeley - The Othering & Belonging Institute
Strategic Communications Fellow | Summer 2021
The Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley identifies & eliminates the barriers to an inclusive, just, and sustainable society in order to create transformative change. As a strategic communications fellow for the O&B Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, I've worked at the intersection of community organizing, academia & justice.
