Yadira Paz-Martinez is originally from Clinton, North Carolina and is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants who work as blue-collar laborers and farmworkers. She pursued a degree in Public Policy at Duke University, with a minor in History and a Certificate in Human Rights. As a first-generation, Yadira served as the Vice President for Equity and Outreach in Duke Student Government and as the co-president of Duke Beyond Borders. Committed to farmworker justice, she was an Into the Fields intern with Student Action with Farmworkers. In the summer of 2023, she worked in the U.S. House of Representatives through the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), serving in the office of Colorado Representative Yadira Caraveo. Most recently, she worked at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) on civil rights litigation and with the Kamala Harris campaign on outreach efforts.
Yadira was also a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, conducting research on the socialization of farmworkers in rural North Carolina and the impact of geopolitical forces on their lived experiences. She completed her thesis with distinction, titled “The Undocumented Republican Latino Vote.” A 2024 Truman Scholar, Yadira aspires to pursue a JD to advance labor rights for farmworkers and low-wage workers across the United States.