Vanessa Martinez joined Nebraska Appleseed in October 2019 as the Organizing Manager for the Immigrants & Communities Program. Vanessa’s pronouns are she/her/hers.
Vanessa is from Lincoln, Nebraska and graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University with degrees in English and Music — she plays the clarinet! Her career as a human rights advocate began at Appleseed back in 2008 when she served as the first welcoming coordinator. Inspired by this work, she went on to study international migration and earned her Master’s degrees in Latin American Studies and Community and Regional Planning at the University of Texas at Austin.
After graduate school, she moved to Mexico City, Mexico where she worked for the International Detention Coalition, supporting governments and civil society partners in various countries across the Americas region to find alternatives to the harmful practice of immigration detention. After five years in Mexico, she decided to move back to Nebraska to be closer to family and was excited for the opportunity to return to Appleseed.
“I was thrilled to return to the organization that inspired by career path and to support the fight for justice and opportunity in my home state,” said Vanessa.
Vanessa loves spending time with family and friends and exploring how her hometown has grown. “For me, Lincoln has many new restaurants and shops I want to visit and fun events to attend. It definitely still feels like home, but with some exciting changes,” she said.
Please help us welcome back Vanessa! You can reach her at vmartinez@neappleseed.org