2023 LBJ DC Fellow
Rylee Pluta earned her Master of Public Affairs (DC Concentration) at the LBJ School. She majored in criminal justice at The University of North Texas and was a member of the Alpha Phi Sigma National Honor Society.
Pluta became devoted to criminal justice reform, not only through her undergraduate coursework, but also during her post-graduate work as a legal assistant for an elected county prosecutor where she conducted case research. In addition, her interest in resource accessibility in disenfranchised communities was sparked by her work with a local community food pantry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pluta is interested in education and criminal justice reform, particularly in the context of mitigating the school-to-prison pipeline, and increasing programs and resources in disenfranchised communities to create equitable access. At the LBJ School, she was involved with organizing community engagement events with the Graduate Public Affairs Council (GPAC).
2023 Policy Apprenticeship: Office of Planning and Analytics, U.S. Department of Transportation and Public Strategies Washington
Policy Interests: Elimination of school-to-prison pipeline, civil rights advocacy, equitable resource accessibility.