Born and raised in East Palo Alto, Diana Gomez-Ochoa grew up noticing the environmental differences between her hometown and the surrounding wealthier cities. However, it wasn’t until her first college public health class that she gained the vocabulary to describe these disparities and define them as environmental injustices. She was then quick to research the long history of injustices in EPA and their direct impact on the health of her community.

In June 2026, Diana graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Human Development and a minor in Public Health Sciences.Diana’s passion for environmental justice and health equity has been intensifying through her work experience. For two summers, Diana interned at the U.S. Energy Foundation where she interviewed non-profits across the nation on their work in mitigating the impacts of climate change. Inspired by these conversations with environmental leaders, she decided to take action and started working directly in her own community. The following year, Diana co-developed brochures on climate-driven flooding, its environmental and health impacts, and ways to prevent major disasters as a Youth Council Member with the San Francisco Estuary Partnership. 

As a kid, Diana spent lots of time with her face buried in a book at the East Palo Alto Library. Nowadays, you can still find her there checking out the newest mystery, thriller, and dystopian books. Connect with Diana on LinkedIn.