“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

As UNE’s Policy Analyst, Rayna is responsible for researching, monitoring, and proposing policy priorities and campaigns at the local and state level. She engages with members to identify potential solutions to their most deeply held issues, often researching obscure rules and procedures so that members are able to engage in the most strategic ways. In addition, Rayna serves as a policy expert, and testifies side by side with members using well-researched best practices and relevant statistics to support the policies proposed by UNE’s members.

Born and raised in Arizona, Rayna has long been invested in challenging systemic injustice in the fields of education, public health, and housing. Through her own personal experience and her studies in health care, Rayna has seen the impact of housing and economic instability and the importance of community-first policy implementation. While working with first-generation college students like herself, Rayna built connections, relationships and community while learning how to support others in reaching their goals. In her time in this direct service role, she began to look towards public policy as a potential tool to reshape systems to work for everyday people across race and class. 

In addition to her experience in direct service work, Rayna has volunteered for advocacy organizations focused on federal-level policy and volunteer leadership development. In her time in both advocacy and education, Rayna learned that the key to building long-term power is rooted in policy campaigns that honor the dignity of the people and the communities impacted. In her current role, Rayna is focused on listening to the needs of members, incorporating stories to inform her policy work, and grounding in UNE’s long term vision of vibrant, strong communities where human lives are valued over profit. Rayna is excited to bring ideas, clarity, and persistence to UNE’s policy development and build a legacy of change through her work at UNE.