Bio
Karolina Castañeda Rodriguez was born and raised in the north end of Imperial County. As a lifelong resident of Westmorland, she is passionate about educating her community in what happens in their own backyard. With the recent proposed plans for Lithium Valley, Karolina knows that her hometown is one of the most at risk if the development is not done responsibly.
Karolina graduated from the University of California, Davis, where she earned bachelor’s degrees in political science, sociology and education. During her time in Davis, she was an avid farmer’s market attendee, arboretum walker and matcha latte drinker.
Before working with the ACLU, Karolina worked for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, the University of California's largest employee union, where she advocated for worker’s rights and organized student worker protests. Later in her career, she worked for the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, assisting employees across all 58 counties in California.
Karolina is a passionate advocate, organizer and lover of all thing’s community driven. When she’s not working, you can probably find her chasing her nieces and nephews, planning trips to national parks or convincing someone to listen to her favorite artist's new album.