Joanna moved from her native Puerto Rico to New Orleans after Hurricane Maria struck the island. She graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, concentrating in Labor Relations. She is currently working towards earning her Master’s degree in Labor and Employment Law from Tulane University Law School.​

Joanna previously worked at the regional office of the National Labor Relations Board Regional in Puerto Rico. There, she participated in an internship performing legal research on Board and court decisions, analyzing unfair labor practices, conducting labor investigations, and organizing elections for union representatives.

She also worked as a supervisor in one of San Juan, Puerto Rico’s major hotel resorts. She is fluent in Spanish and English, and loves music, cats, and dogs. Joanna also enjoys traveling throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, and is looking forward to building a new life in the New Orleans area.