Natalie Hernandez is a Master of Planning student at the USC Price School. She has a strong interest in environmental justice and community planning, which she attributes to growing up in Long Beach, a core hub of goods movement in the Los Angeles area. Prior to graduate school, Natalie spent three years in Sacramento working as a Capital Executive Fellow, at the California Air Resources Board, and for the Institute for Local Government. She became knowledgeable about state funding, environmental programs, and stakeholder engagement, and would like to use her experience to be a local planner. Excited about the opportunity to strengthen her research skills in graduate school, she is focusing some of her studies on climate change action, resiliency, and equity.
Natalie is still a proud Long Beach native, and she currently lives there with her family. She is also an alumna of Loyola Marymount University where received a BA in Urban Studies and Spanish. In her spare time, Natalie enjoys running, Latin music, and learning from new people and places. She has spent time living abroad in El Salvador, and most recently, Mexico City.