About

I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Economics at UC Berkeley. My work intersects labor economics and public finance, with an emphasis on low-wage workers and immigrants. I use quasi-experimental approaches and restricted data from various California agencies and the US Census Bureau to study how policies shape access to higher education, entry into the labor market, and conditions within it. Ultimately, my work speaks to debates around access, inequality, and labor market enforcement.

I am passionate about making data and research accessible to a diverse audience. With the Low-wage Work (LWW) team at the UC Berkeley Labor Center, I co-built the “Low-wage Work in California Data Explorer,” provided technical support to partner organizations, and coauthored a series of reports, factsheets, and blog posts on job quality and pay in low-wage occupations. Before joining LWW, I supported work on social safety net program usage and college student success through the California Policy Lab.

I received an M.P.P. and a B.A. in Philosophy with a minor in Labor & Workplace Studies, both from UCLA, and am an alumna of the American Economic Association Summer Program (AEASP).

I am a proud Californian, daughter of Mexican immigrants in agriculture and domestic work, and first-generation college student. In my free time, I immerse myself in nature—mostly running, cycling, camping, and backpacking (often with my dog! 🐾). I completed my first marathon in March 2024 in Napa, inspired by my childhood growing up on a vineyard in the Santa Monica mountains.