Gabriela Padilla

Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs, University of Georgia

An immigrant and first-generation college student from Guadalajara, Jalisco Mexico, I became the first person in my family to attend and graduate from college. During my time at the University of Georgia in undergrad I was the recipient of the Goizuetta Scholarship and Hope scholarship for my entire college career, ensuring graduating from college with zero debt. My academic achievements granted me entrance into prestigious organizations, including Sigma Iota Rho and Golden Key International Honor Society, as well as being a part of the Dean’s List. After graduating with my bachelors, I was chosen out of thousands of applicants and a rigorous interview process to become a part of Teach For America. During my time as a bilingual educator in south Texas I was successful in scholar academic and individual growth, granting me outstanding end of the year reviews. During my time with Teach For America and after,  I became a part of Leadership For Educational Equity (LEE). Through this organization I was able to be a part of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Leadership Conference where I was able to meet many of our country’s leaders and brainstorm ideas of how to fix some of the issues facing our Hispanic community.

Immigration, Human Rights, Public Policy, Education