Vanessa Carter is currently an Administrative Office Intern for the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute (CHLI). She was born in Las Vegas, raised in Southern California, and has been living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for the last 15 years. Being a dual citizen has led her to be passionate about the Social and Political systems of both countries, and learn about what she can do to ensure Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in a future career.

Being of partial Guatemalan descent has taught Vanessa to have an appreciation for Latin culture through music, dance, and food. Through interning with CHLI, she is able to amplify the voices of the Hispanic community and learn about important topics that she can keep in mind moving forward and be a part of the change. She aspires to see more representation of the Hispanic community in positions of power and opportunities for them to be heard.

Vanessa is an Honors Student at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, and is going into her final year completing her Bachelor of Arts Degree with a Major in Law and Society and a Minor in Business Management. Her extracurriculars include being Vice President of her sorority, Alpha Omicron Pi, and a Student Volunteer writer at her University’s student-run newspaper, The Gauntlet. In her spare time, she loves playing basketball and skiing or traveling and reading.