A TAAP Scholar and recipient of the Mrs. Genevieve E. McEnerney Endowment Fund, Anely Cortez Lopez is a first-generation Latina student at UC Berkeley, majoring in Legal Studies and Ethnic Studies. Raised in Los Angeles, she is the proud daughter of immigrants from the Mexican states of Oaxaca and Nayarit. Growing up in under-resourced school systems and navigating higher education as a first-generation student have shaped her commitment to educational access and community advocacy.
Anely has been deeply involved in youth leadership and public service throughout her academic journey. She currently serves as a Student Advocate’s Office caseworker with the ASUC and is an assistant researcher with the Latinx Legacy Project, where, through the Latinx Academic Resource Center, she helps preserve the histories of Latinx students on campus. Previously, she served as the Student Board Member for the Los Angeles Unified School District, representing over 500,000 students, and as a Council Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. In Summer 2025, she interned with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino in Washington, DC, contributing to projects centered on Latino representation and public history.
Anely hopes to pursue a career in law and public policy, with a focus on advancing education and equity in marginalized communities. She is especially interested in research that uplifts the communities she grew up in and looks forward to continuing to learn through mentorship, community-based work, and collaborative research.
Major(s): Legal Studies, Ethnic Studies
Minor(s): Education