Giselle Rodriguez is an immigrant woman from Nayarit, Mexico and is 26 years old. She comes from a working, mixed-status family. Giselle grew up in Chicago and the northern suburbs of Illinois. Currently, Giselle is the Founder and Executive Director of Illinois Workers in Action, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to empower workers through education, grassroots organizing, power, and workers' rights. The organization strives to build worker power in immigrant, Latino, and Black communities by working to promote systemic change that promotes racial and social justice and stabilizes low-income immigrants and communities of color. As Executive Director, Giselle takes on many different roles, from community organizer to managing daily operations, fundraising, and more. Giselle educates and organizes black and brown immigrant workers in and around Chicago. Giselle is an advocate for immigrant and worker rights. Additionally, she is co-founder of the Center for Immigrant Progress, an organization that focuses on building communities that provide protection, education, and social and economic opportunities to immigrant children and families. Giselle has a bachelor's degree from Northeastern University and recently earned her master's degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. Throughout her professional career she has worked with several non-profit organizations, focusing on advocacy for immigration issues, labor rights, and survivors of sexual abuse and secondary education for undocumented students. Believes that through advocacy, education, organizing and leadership development we can empower young people, immigrants and workers. The most important goal for her is to make higher education more accessible for young immigrants and to continue educating our community about their rights as workers and immigrants. As a young immigrant, Giselle believes that education should be accessible to all people regardless of their immigration status.
