Jessica Vivar

Jessica Vivar is a first-year MPP student and a research assistant at the Education Policy Initiative. Originally from Queens, NYC she graduated from Smith College with a BA in Economics and Portuguese-Brazilian studies. Most recently, she worked as the government affairs associate at the Institute for Higher Education Policy, where she led their higher education policy and advocacy priorities. She also served as a CHCI Fellow at the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, working on education issues within the committee’s jurisdiction. As a first-generation student and the daughter of two Ecuadorian immigrant parents, she is passionate about education equity and is excited to use her professional and personal experiences to inform her work as a research assistant.