Student Profile: Alec Romero – Marquette Scholar Advancing Justice Through Leadership, Service, and Research

Alec Romero is entering a third year as a Dr. Terence Thomas Scholarship recipient at Marquette University and is double majoring in Criminology & Law and Social Welfare & Justice Studies. Alec reflects a commitment to education access, restorative justice, and community advocacy through campus leadership, courthouse-based service, and community-engaged research. Across academic coursework, the Milwaukee Justice Center/AmeriCorps internship, and award-winning research on surveillance technologies and electronic monitoring, Alec focuses on expanding access to resources and raising awareness of how systems and technologies impact communities.

Academic & Leadership

This fall semester, Alec Romero registered for two courses—Children Impacted by Incarceration and Restorative Justice in Education—at the Racine Correctional Institution through the Education Preparedness Program (EPP). EPP creates a mixed-blended learning environment where formerly or currently incarcerated individuals and Marquette students take classes together, with a mission to reduce higher education barriers by providing college-level courses to incarcerated populations, including students who have already taken a college course and those who have never considered pursuing higher education.

Through this experience, Alec listened to personal stories, observed restorative justice practices in schools and prisons, and examined data on incarcerated populations. Through readings, weekly restorative justice circles, and classmates’ lived experiences, Alec deepened an understanding of education as a privilege and reflected on the opportunity to pursue higher education at Marquette while taking college-level coursework alongside incarcerated students.

Alec also reestablished the student organization YES (Youth Empowered in the Struggle) at Marquette University and will serve as president of the multicultural advocacy organization, where students lead campaigns and advocate for social injustices within their communities and on campus.

Internship

This summer, Alec will intern at the Milwaukee Courthouse as a Courthouse Navigator through the Milwaukee Justice Center and AmeriCorps.

Alec is motivated to give back to the community and views this internship as a step toward that long-time goal. With an interest in legal assistance, Alec aims to help community members better understand their rights and plans to do so as an AmeriCorps member with the Milwaukee Justice Center. Both programs emphasize community impact by partnering with local organizations, schools, and programs across Milwaukee.

As a Courthouse Navigator, Alec will support individuals in completing documents, filings, and other paperwork to help reduce stress associated with legal proceedings. Alec’s goal is to advocate for Spanish-speaking families by actively listening and helping connect them to accessible, affordable resources within the Milwaukee Justice Center andAmeriCorps-supported programs.

Research

Alec showcased a community-research project at the 3rd Community Impact Showcase at Marquette University, representing the Center for Urban Research, Teaching & Outreach (CURTO) and the Urban Scholars Program. Through conversations with students, faculty, staff, and an immigration attorney, Alec helped raise awareness about the expanding landscape of surveillance technologies affecting youth, adults, women, and undocumented communities. The project draws attention to limited data, privacy research, and literature on EM and aims to inform policymakers, stakeholders, and community advocacy organizations about law enforcement’s use and abuse of these technologies. Alec plans to present at the Midwestern Criminal Justice Conference next fall.

“Electronic Monitoring and Biometrics for Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE): The Weaponization of Data” won an award at the Forward Thinking Research Symposium. Alec Romero’s project was selected by the Marquette Center for Data Ethics and supported by Kathryn Storm and Robert Smith of CURTO. The project examines ICE’s use of personal data and how technologies such as electronic monitoring reinforce mass incarceration through a technological dimension—creating a form of mass “ecarceration” that can deprive individuals of their rights.

Summary: Alec Romero’s work reflects a commitment to education access, restorative justice, and community advocacy through campus leadership, courthouse-based service, and community-engaged research. Across academic coursework, the Milwaukee Justice Center/AmeriCorps internship, and award-winning research on surveillance technologies and electronic monitoring, Alec focuses on expanding access to resources and raising awareness of how systems and technologies impact communities.