She's a complicated figure.
She grew up in Westchester, a pretty affluent suburb of NY, but claims to be from the Bronx. Then she went to Boston University to study international relations and economics, a pretty prestigious degree, and spent a year working abroad in Niger for a Planned Parenthood-style NGO, and then found herself working as a bartender. If memory serves me rightly she also tried to set up her own business that sold children's books between leaving college and standing for Congress.
When she ran for Congress she led a very grassroots-based campaign, and I think was outspent by Joe Crowley by something like 10 to 1. She was only really backed by the DSA, the Justice Dems and the various other prog organisations that sprung up or gained popularity after Bernie lost the 2016 primary. When she was elected she led a group of activists from the
Sunrise Movement, another lefty group, into Pelosi's office, and basically acted like this revolutionary socialist who wanted to destroy capitalism. Then three years later she was lying about January 6th to help bolster Pelosi's lie that it was a True and Honest insurrection, wore a $30k dress to the bastion of elitism that is the Met Gala, and was willing to support funding the IDF with American money.
I don't know the full story behind AOC's life; none of us do, and I don't think any of us ever will. What I do know, though, is pretty thunk-provoking.