Isabel Banda is a senior at Brandeis University where she is pursuing her BA in film, sociology, and international and global studies. Her identities as a low-income and first-generation college student from Houston, Texas have allowed her to develop a passion for education and equitable access to education. During her time at Brandeis, she has immersed herself in the local community by volunteering with nonprofit organizations such as The Right to Immigration Institute (TRII) and Waltham Alliance for Teaching, Community Organizing, and Housing (WATCH CDC) as a Spanish interpreter for legal assistance meetings and English learning classes. She has also served with Breakthrough Collaborative as a summer teaching fellow of eighth-grade literature in Houston, Texas. Her teaching experience prepared her for her current positions as film afterschool teaching fellow with Breakthrough Greater Boston, post-secondary persistence coordinator with Momentum Education, and college access coach with Let’s Get Ready. She also plans on serving with City Year Boston for the 2021–22 school year. In her free time, Isabel enjoys reading or watching documentaries. At TCF, Isabel will be working with the higher education policy team as a Summer Scholar.
