Mercedes Gonzalez was an education policy intern in 2014. Originally from Chicago, Mercedes is a first year Master’s student at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at UT Austin.  She has completed multiple research programs investigating public policies that negatively impact marginalized communities and impede their ability to advance in society.  As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she is an avid promoter of social justice and her passion lies in working to ease the plight of communities of color.