José Ortega-Luo is a 2nd year Master’s in Public Policy student at Duke University. José is from Hillsborough, NC and completed his undergraduate degree at Duke in 2019. José’s experience as a first-generation low-income (FGLI) Latinx student has fueled his passion for giving back to his community. While at Duke, he participated in DukeEngage in Tucson, AZ, working at a nonprofit that educated undocumented immigrants about their civil rights.

After Duke, he worked as a college advisor for the Duke College Advising Corps. As a Bear Fellow at the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke, he oversaw part of the Citizenship Lab and was the coordinator for the Hostile Terrain 94 Exhibit. This past summer, José interned at the City Manager’s Office at the City of Durham. His policy interests include bettering education and economic outcomes for marginalized communities. José also enjoys collecting sneakers, weightlifting, and watching anime outside the classroom.