Ms. María Hernández holds a bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Universidad Central de Venezuela and a certificate in Impact Evaluation of Public Policies and Programs from Universidad Católica de Chile. As one of many people who needed to flee the country, she moved to Chile, where has been leading projects in a social enterprise to build capacity, and to offer parenting support services at the national and local government level.

During her fellowship year, Ms. Hernández wants to learn more about economics, population, public policy, strategic communication, project and data management. She plans to use this knowledge to decrease the violence epidemic in Venezuela, which has one of the highest crime rates in the world. Ms. Hernández is passionate about the Global and Social Policy fields, with special emphasis in primary violence prevention, and its intersection with gender and children/adolescent development. She has also volunteered with organizations that work in underserved communities to foster social cohesion. She hopes to be an agent of change and contribute to democracy building in Venezuela.