Raquel Gonzalez (she/her) is a 15-year-old high school student from East New York, Brooklyn. She joined the NYC Junior Ambassadors program in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. She spent two years in the program using the Sustainable Development Goals as a lens to learn about human trafficking of vulnerable populations (including women and girls) and exploring ways to bring more awareness for young people to protect themselves and their families.

With family origins from the Dominican Republic, Raquel saw the impact of pandemic on young people in New York City, the Caribbean and Latin America. These experiences have piqued her interest in pursuing a career in medicine in the future. Raquel is already on the path to success – and is learning from her experience working the NYC Department of Education, Project Everyone and an honed in on an incredible opportunity interviewing UNICEF’s Executive Director, Catherine Russell.

Raquel continues to advocate in political spaces across sectors for issues she is most passionate about. She is hopeful that by utilizing her voice, she can work alongside changemakers to ensure prosperity for future generations.