Valeria Cruz | Hunter College

Major: Urban Policy and Leadership; Neighborhood Development

Valeria Cruz is a senior graduate student at Hunter College, pursuing an M.S. in Urban Policy and Leadership. Valeria has a background in Environmental Science, having earned both an A.S. and B.S. on the subject from Queensborough Community College and Queens College, respectively. Born and raised in Guatemala, Valeria grew up in Far Rockaway after immigrating to the United States. Naturally, Valeria’s interests stem from her experience; access to affordable education, educational reform, food deserts, transportation access, access to green space, disability advocacy, gentrification, immigration, housing affordability and resilience, coast-line protection for communities and the green space they provide, waste and sewage management, and making science a part of everyday life.  

Valeria’s concentration in Neighborhood Development is reflected in her approach emphasizing systems thinking and solutions that promote both environmental and climate justice. Her goal is to combat climate change by making science more accessible and fostering curiosity about the environment. She believes that combining psychology, philosophy, and evidence-based anecdotes can inspire resilience in communities. She believes that place attachment and knowledge are key for any social policy to prosper. Valeria was awarded for her research in the Superfund site, Newton Creek. She has interned with City As Living Laboratory, a non-profit focused on pairing scientists and artists and getting ideas to play out in the streets. As a CUNY Peer Leader, focused on urban farms, neighborhood resilience, and diverse diets. And in New York City’s Housing Authority Waste Management Department, where new and sustainable solutions for residential waste are created.

Valeria hopes the Hub is a place to foster community and be able to talk to peers and mentors about the past, present and future of climate and environmental justice in New York City and beyond. She also hopes her experience in the hub helps her jump start her career caring for the causes that will change our world.