Our Fellows
The Opportunity Agenda’s Communications Institute Fellows are media-ready experts on some of the country’s most urgent challenges, coming largely from communities most affected by those challenges. For journalists seeking voices with a grassroots perspective that links economic opportunity, criminal justice, immigrant opportunity, and racial justice issues to the lived experiences of Americans, Communications Fellows are ideal spokespeople.
Priscilla Olivarez
Policy Attorney, Immigrant Legal Resource CenterPriscilla Olivarez is a Policy Attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) based in San Antonio, TX. Priscilla's other advocacy experience includes working abroad, providing legal support to survivors of human trafficking in the Philippines. Priscilla has also advocated on behalf of survivors of domestic violence and represented unaccompanied...
Get To know PriscillaVictor Palafox
Steering Committee Member/Organizer, Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice/Immigrant Youth Leadership Initiative of AlabamaVictor Palafox is a community organizer and aspiring History teacher based in the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama with the Immigrant Youth Leadership Initiative of Alabama and a Steering Committee member with the Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice. Born in Mexico City, he was raised in Alabama, has resided there ever...
Get To know VictorAndrea Panjwani
Co-Executive Director, Immigrant Defense ProjectAndrea serves as Co-Executive Director of the Immigrant Defense Project, an organization dedicated to protecting immigrants from deportation, detention, and separation from their families and communities through legislative and policy advocacy, impact litigation and training, and advising advocates and judges. Andrea previously served as legal director of African Services Committee,...
Get To know AndreaStevie Paz
Digital Organizer, NM Comunidades en Accion y de Fe (CAFe) & CAFe ActionStevie Paz was born and raised in Las Cruces, New Mexico, about 100 miles away from the border. She graduated from New Mexico State University with a Bachelors in Criminal Justice. She has been a New Mexico Comunidades en Accion y de Fe now for 6 years. Stevie believes that...
Get To know StevieOlivia Peña
Deputy Program Director, Young Center for Immigrant Children’s RightsOlivia Peña oversees the Harlingen, Houston, and San Antonio teams where staff are appointed as the independent Child Advocates for unaccompanied and separated children in immigration custody.
Get To know OliviaJessica Peñaranda
Special Projects Coordinator, Sex Workers Project/Urban Justice CenterJessica Peñaranda is the Special Projects Coordinator for the Sex Workers Project, providing direct services to sex workers and survivors of trafficking after arrest, documenting best practices, and conducting trainings with court personnel and service providers. Jessica has worked on issues relating to violence against marginalized communities for over eight...
Get To know JessicaJohnny Perez
Safe Reentry Advocate, Mental Health Project/Urban Justice CenterJohnny Perez is a non-attorney mental health advocate for the Urban Justice Center’s Mental Health Project, a law firm providing pro-bono legal representation to underserved populations affected by social justice issues. When he is not advocating on behalf of New York’s most vulnerable populations, Johnny works to change the status...
Get To know JohnnyMaritza Perez
Director, Office of National Affairs, Drug Policy AllianceMaritza Perez, Esq. leads her organization’s federal legislative agenda and strategy to end the war on drugs.
Get To know MaritzaCarmen Perez-Jordan
President & CEO, The Gathering for JusticeCarmen Perez is an award-winning, internationally-known civil and human rights leader and Chicana feminist. With a 25-year career advocating for civil rights, she currently serves as President & CEO of The Gathering for Justice.
Get To know CarmenCynthia Pompa
Advocacy Coordinator, ACLU Border Rights CenterCynthia Pompa is a proud native to the borderlands who grew up in both Cd. Juárez, Chih. and El Paso, TX. She is the Advocacy Coordinator at the ACLU Border Rights Center in El Paso. In this role, she works to develop and coordinate advocacy and organizing strategies among the...
Get To know Cynthia