Raquel is a Cuban-American born and raised in Miami, Florida where she is based. Throughout the course of her career, Raquel has focused on delivering environmental education and leading hands-on stewardship initiatives throughout south Florida.

Raquel is a recent graduate of the Environmental Studies program at Florida International University with a Certificate in Agroecology and significant internship and volunteering experience working with local environmental conservation organizations in the area, including The DuMond Conservancy for Primates & Tropical Forests and Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Prior to coming on board with ACE, Raquel worked for Citizens for a Better South Florida (CITIZENS), a small, local NGO that focuses on delivering environmental education and stewardship initiatives to predominantly underserved communities throughout south Florida. During her experience at CITIZENS, she participated in numerous tree plantings, habitat restoration and educational outreach events, leading local workshops focusing on topics like the importance of trees in urban settings, responsible energy consumption, and the impacts of exotic plant species on our surrounding environment.During her free time, Raquel enjoys spending time in her garden, roller skating, occasionally rock climbing at a local climbing gym, trekking through the swamps, wetlands, and pinelands of the Everglades, and spending time with her pets — a 3-year-old energetic golden retriever named Mambo and a furry little cat named Pimienta.