HOST | Gabriela Fresquez

Individuals who seek truth and justice inspire Gabriela. Among her heroes, she counts legendary comedian and social critic, George Carlin, as well as Martin Luther King, Jr. Gabriela admires Carlin because of his ability to use his humor, even when dark, to point out the hard facts of life. In Martin Luther King, Jr. she admires a man who was able to remain committed to peace even at the face of great adversity.

A Southern California native, Gabriela is of Mexican, Italian and Spanish descent. As a child, she was drawn to performing, and as she matured her desire to take a more active role evolved. Today, Gabriela wants to be in front of the camera, but she wants to be there with a purpose—to inspire social change.

In 2004, Gabriela was selected as a Presidential Scholar to attend the prestigious Annenberg School of Journalism in the University of Southern California, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations with a minor in International Relations. While at USC, Gabriela spent a semester abroad in Spain followed by a summer working in Ibiza. Shortly after graduation, she decided to pursue her passion for politics, and served as a Canvass Director for Progressive Future, a non-profit organization that promotes progressive values through political campaigns. As director, Gabriela led voter registration drives during the 2008 Presidential election.

After reading about LOFT’s new initiative, Gabriela knew she had to be part of it, and after spending just a few minutes with Emanuel and the rest of the INSPIRA team, it was obvious she was their missing ingredient. Gabriela’s endearing personality, positive attitude and passion truly drives her, and it is contagious to everyone around her. Through this journey, she hopes to inspire young Latino/as who are feeling isolated, unmotivated or without direction. “We’ve all felt these things on some level,” she says, “and sometimes we need to be reminded that our goals are attainable.”