Julissa Arce

Julissa Arce is a writer, speaker, and social justice advocate. She is the cofounder and chair of the Ascend Educational Fund, a college scholarship and mentorship program for immigrant students, regardless of their immigration status, ethncity, or national origin. Arce is also a board member for the National Immigration Law Center and College Spring. She is the former director of public affairs at Define American, a media organization that uses the power of story to change culture around immigration and citizenship. Prior to becoming an advocate, she built a successful career on Wall Street working at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch and had seemingly achieved the American Dream, and yet she was not part of what defined America.