Winning the representative seat for the 14th district in New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, or AOC, has made waves in Washington. At 29 years old, she is the youngest representative to have ever been elected, beating opponent Joe Crowley with 78% of the general vote. Ocasio-Cortez has been deemed by TIME Magazine as “the biggest upset of the 2018 elections so far.”

Growing up between The Bronx and Yorktown, AOC lived with her middle-class family. Her mother and father are from Puerto-Rico, but her mother immigrated from there while her father grew up in the Bronx. She takes pride in her Latino heritage. She graduated from Boston University. While she was working on her campaign, she worked in a bar as a waitress, as she had to make money for her family.

Ocasio-Cortez strongly believes in equality for all, no matter race, gender, sexual orientation, or economical status. Her campaign’s main goal is to raise taxes for wealthier folks in order to make it fair for people who can’t afford higher payments. She is an advocate for gender equality, and she spoke at the Women’s March 2019.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a positive role model for young girls of all races. Her advocacy and desire for equality is making a difference for many in our country. AOC’s fiery determination has changed our government.