Essence Rodriguez

2020 Community Finance Fellow

Essence is a San Diego native who loves to spend time with her family and friends and in her downtime enjoys reading historical fiction, romance, and thrillers.

Growing up in an underrepresented community and having the opportunity to pursue her education enlightened her to the need for the betterment of communities that have been overlooked and underrepresented. She believes this fellowship at Mission Driven Finance will equip her with the tools and growth needed to aid underserved communities, in their attempt to better their lives and that of future generations.

Essence graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a bachelor of arts in political science and international relations. While attending UCSD, she also worked as an undergraduate research fellow at the U.S. Immigration Policy Center at UCSD under Dr. Tom Wong.