Valeria Gonzalez recently earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and history from The University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated with honors in history and conducted research on the history of child psychology and scientific research in childhood perceptions of pain, imagination, and time. Simultaneously, she served as a Youth and Community Engagement Programs Director in her hometown of Eagle Pass, Texas, where she led civic and educational initiatives focused on youth in border communities. She interned at the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Human Trafficking Division, where she pursued work on her policy interests in U.S.-Mexico borderlands education policy, child welfare, and equitable access to educational opportunity in underserved communities. Valeria is fluent in Spanish.