Yadira Paz-Martinez is a junior at Duke University majoring in Public Policy with a minor in History and a certificate in Human Rights. She is Mexican American and the proud daughter of Mexican blue-collar and farmworker immigrants. Yadira previously served on a Bass Connections team titled “Measuring Democracy,” was the former co-president for Define America, now known as “Beyond Borders,” and she is the current Duke Student Government Vice President for Equity and Outreach. She is also a Benjamin N. Duke Scholar, Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, and a recently selected 2024 Truman Scholar. Yadira aspires to obtain a JD and Ph.D. to advance labor rights for farmworkers and low-wage workers.

Honors Thesis: The Undocumented Republican Vote

Faculty Advisor: Professor Jay Pearson