Amber was born and raised in a Mexican household in the predominantly Latinx area of Southeast LA. There, she attended overcrowded, underfunded schools, but was luckily taken under the wing of her science/AVID/homeroom teacher, changing the trajectory of her life for the better and priming her to be college bound. With his guidance, she enrolled in a STEM high school that radically expanded her worldview – for the first time connecting with other low-income students of all racial/ethnic backgrounds in an environment where college was explicitly the goal for all students. She additionally found community in local environmental justice activism. Through these experiences, she understood that she wanted to dedicate her life and career to improving the quality of life for low-income communities – communities that too often face disparate access and outcomes in everything from education, health, to pollution issues.
A first-generation student, Amber graduated from Occidental College with a bachelor’s in Urban & Environmental Policy, where she was immersed in grassroots activism. She interned at Boyle Heights-based nonprofit Innercity Struggle, supporting the empowerment of Los Angeles’ Eastside youth and families. She then took on the role of social media assistant at the Moving Forward Network, a national network engaging frontline environmental justice organizations. She also participated in her campus’ English literacy program for middle school students. She joined the Campaign for College Opportunity in 2019 as a Communications Fellow, combining her experiences in education and communications. Being a first-gen college graduated directly informs her work today: a college degree is the ticket out of poverty and an improved quality of life, just as it was for her and as it continues to be for California students today.
Amber still resides in Southeast Los Angeles, where she will continue to elevate social justice and racial/ethnic equity priorities for a sustainable future.
Amber graduated from Occidental College with a bachelor’s in Urban & Environmental Policy.
What do you do at the Campaign? Spread knowledge on what the Campaign does & stands for, so some of what you see on social media (follow us!), in your inbox (subscribe to our newsletter!), our publications, our website, and more.
What else gets you up in the morning? My pets demanding food and their morning walks.
What do you do in your downtime? Make great vegan food, repair clothes, and take very long walks.
Fun fact: I collect 80+ year old clothes and bring them back to life!
