Gissell Vera is an Outreach Associate for the Government Affairs team at the American Federation for Children, and member of the 2020 Future Leaders Fellows Cohort. 

A beneficiary of the Milwaukee Parental Choice Program, Gissell is a proud alumni Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Milwaukee’s founding class in 2019. She graduated from Marquette University on a full scholarship, with a degree in Public Relations and Law Studies.

Gissell’s passion for educational advocacy is complemented by her experience as a first generation American of Mexican decent and first-generation college student from Milwaukee’s Southside.

Her writing on education and advocacy has been published in the Washington Examiner and the Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. Through her work, Gissell is dedicated to raising awareness about educational resources for the Hispanic community and empowering families and students.