Katherine Garcia is a sophomore at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pursuing a double major in Political Science and Latina/o Studies with a minor in Business on the pre-law track. On campus, she is deeply involved in organizations such as I-CAUSE, Latinx in Law, and Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, Pre-Law Honors Society.

Off campus, Katherine serves as the Director of Equity & Inclusion for Legally Lawtino, a national nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to internships, scholarships, and pre-law resources for first-generation and underrepresented students. She is also a current Fellow with America Needs You, a national nonprofit where she has participated in corporate site visits, networking events, and mentorship partnerships to strengthen her career readiness, project management skills, and financial literacy.

Katherine is a proud Hispanas Organized Political Equity (HOPE) Alumna, where she completed a capstone project focused on immigration policy. Through this experience, she conducted policy research, authored an op-ed, and collaborated with a cohort of five fellows to develop policy recommendations and present a civics-based capstone project centered on strengthening community empowerment.

One of Katherine’s most meaningful achievements includes serving as a LEAD Ambassador for the Latina Empowerment and Development Conference (LEAD) at Harvard University, where she led fundraising efforts, delivered presentations to campus organizations, secured sponsorships, and increased student engagement. She hopes to expand this opportunity so that more Latina students are able to attend and benefit from this transformative experience.

Katherine lives by the quote, “We rise by lifting others,” a value shaped by the mentors who invested in her journey and continue to inspire her to pay that support forward. As a first-generation college student with proud Mexican heritage, her leadership is rooted in inclusion, ensuring that spaces of power, growth, and opportunity.