Ashley Gutierrez-Torres is a first-year student intending to major in Public Policy and Global Health. Her experience in mental health advocacy has sparked her interest in bioethics, medical policy, and genetic editing. Additionally, as a low-income student, Ashley is especially interested in research disparities and equal representation of all ethnicities through her future research efforts. In light of these issues, Ashley hopes to apply policy to further aid and protect underrepresented communities that are overlooked in political, research, and legal sectors. Furthermore, she hopes to extend these efforts to an international level through the Laidlaw Scholars Program summer immersive experiences. On campus, Ashley is involved with the Duke Medical Ethics Journal as a review and design editor and serves as a Political Advocacy and Programming Committee member for the Latinx affinity group Mi Gente. She also works for a mental health nonprofit called Kid in the Corner as Marketing Communications Coordinator to spread mental health awareness amongst young adults. In her free time, Ashley has a variety of hobbies such as baking, dancing, puzzles, and photo editing.