Belen serves as the Education Policy Coordinator at the Dolores Huerta Foundation. She oversees and advocates for local, state, and federal policies that achieve accessible, equitable education for K-18 students by engaging underrepresented youth, parents, and partners across the Central Valley and beyond.
She first began her journey at the DHF in 2018 as part of the Youth and Family Civic Engagement Initiative, where, as a high school junior, she learned about her rights as a citizen and student, how to be an active community member, and how to advocate for herself in the educational system. She started interning in the Education Department in the summer of 2019. She transitioned into an Education Organizer for parents and youth in the Central Valley and is now in her new role as Education Policy Coordinator.
Belen is pursuing her History, Communication and Law, Public Policy, and Society transfer degrees at Taft Community College. She is based in Bakersfield, California.
