Lyzet Montañez Hurtado

Class of 2026

Faculty Advisor: Rose Salseda

Peer Mentor: Christian Robles-Baez

Lyzet Montañez Hurtado is a proud first-generation student from Clearlake, California. She earned her B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University, with a primary focus on Justice and Law and a secondary focus on Elections, Representation, and Governance. She also minored in Spanish and in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity (CSRE).

Lyzet brings a transnational lens to her studies, informed by her experiences regularly visiting family in Mexico and studying abroad in Spain. Through the Just Transitions Policy Lab, she co-created a StoryMap highlighting the lived experiences of formerly unhoused Spanish-speaking individuals in Mountain View. She has also gained experience across multiple legal and advocacy settings, including roles at KPB Immigration Law Firm, the Instituto Internacional de Derecho y Medio Ambiente (IIDMA) in Spain, and most recently, as an intern at her local public defender’s office in Northern California. In addition, she is currently serving as a teaching assistant for Stanford’s Spanish Continuing Studies program. Lyzet has worked as a Sophomore College Assistant for the Spanish Immersion summer course for two consecutive summers. On campus, she has been involved with Stanford’s Ballet Folklórico and Stanford Derechos. She will continue her role as a Lead Spanish Language Conversation Partner (LCP) and is excited to begin her new position as a Resident Assistant (RA).

Outside of her academic and professional commitments, Lyzet enjoys crocheting, painting, propagating plants, making bracelets, and decorating, among other things.