“I work at the Advocacy Center because I am passionate about empowering others with fundamental information to help them overcome systemic barriers in accessing legal representation.“

Experience

• Andrea manages the operation of the Legal Orientation Program for Custodians, which ensures that sponsors of unaccompanied children receive adequate information for them to properly support the children with immigration court, pro bono services, connections to legal representation and resources for the children’s overall well being. She also provides self-help services to immigrant respondents in the Pro Bono Room and coordinates potential pro bono representation for unaccompanied minors. Andrea assists attorneys in cases by contacting clients, interviewing witnesses, doing case investigation and legal research and drafting legal documents. She is a former health insurance navigator at the Advocacy Center, and she helped Spanish-speaking clients with health insurance options.
• Before joining the Advocacy Center in October 2018, she spent several years working with Virginia Legal Aid in VA, along with working at the free clinic of central Virginia and other health clinics. She also spent over 10 years working in retail management and operations.

Education

• Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
• North Carolina Notary