Hometown: Born In Mexico City, Mexico but raised in Palm Beach County, Florida, US
Why did you choose McCourt? I chose McCourt because I wanted a policy program that would support me through quantitatively rigorous coursework grounded in real-world policy application. Coming from an education research background and a social science-heavy curriculum, I knew I needed stronger statistical and economic foundations for the kind of equity-focused work I am passionate about. McCourt’s quant and econ course sequences, along with passionate faculty and proximity to DC policy spaces, make it the right fit for developing these skills.
What professional/ work experience did you have prior to coming to McCourt? Prior to McCourt, I earned dual degrees in Political Science & education Sciences at the University of Florida. I worked on research related to school finance and education equity, including analyses of property and tax-driven funding disparities. I also worked at UF’s Early Childhood Collaboratory as a preschool teacher and held communications and community-engagement roles supporting the Hispanic/Latine community on campus.
What has been the best part of your experience so far? The quant sequence has been the best part of my McCourt experience. Even though I had prior exposure to data analytics, it wasn’t until McCourt that I finally gained the statistical understanding I had struggled to obtain previously. The coursework helped me apply quantitative methods directly to policy questions I care about and strengthened my confidence when working with real datasets.
Student organization involvement while at McCourt: Georgetown Latino Policy Initiative (GLPI), Georgetown Public Policy Review (GPPR), Policy Innovation Lab (PIL)
Undergraduate University, degree, and major: University of Florida, B.A. in Political Science & B.A. in Education Sciences, Minor in Portuguese & Certificate in Data Analytics
Hobbies/ Interests: My interests are mostly centered around education policy, especially school finance, equity, and the intersections between education, housing, and social policy. In addition, I enjoy graphic design, data storytelling, and projects that blend research with creative and accessible communication.
Reach out to me about: Coming from a non-quant or non-econ background, transitioning into quantitative policy analysis, Moving to DC for grad school, State School to Private, Balancing RA work with school and community engagement.