Maria has over 10 years of advocacy experience. She is currently a full time Secondary Spanish teacher through Teach for America at a Title 1 school. She is pursuing her M.A. in Urban Education at Loyola Marymount University. Through UCLA’s Dream Summer Program 2021 she became a part-time Student Fellow for the Presidents’ Alliance. She has interned at the Loyola Immigration Justice Clinic,  Office of Karen Bass, and First-Gen Professional Network. She holds a B.A in Chicana/o-Latina/o studies with a Minor in Sociology from LMU. She transferred from Santa Monica College where she served as the Improving Dreams, Equity, and Access (IDEAS) co-chair, AB540 Dream Liaison for the Financial Aid office, President Ambassador and Associated Students Board of Directors.