I was born here, I am the oldest of five children, and I grew up in a working class household. We didn’t have much money, but my parents valued good schools and safe communities above all else. The values they instilled are shared by the many Sunnyvale families who sacrifice and make hard decisions to do what is best for their kids.

I was raised here, attending Cupertino Middle and Homestead High School as the next generation in the early days of the tech boom. I witnessed our community embrace change and transform. I have always been proud to call this city home. I feel deeply connected to our rich cultural diversity. My family immigrated to this area from Mexico because this land’s legacy as a beacon of opportunity. My daughter is the fourth generation to call the Silicon Valley home.

I have been a working mom for my entire adult life. I raised my daughter as a single mother after having her when I was nineteen years old. The experience of overcoming systemic barriers to economic stability and stigma drove my early interest in politics and public policy.

I found my calling in creating change. In 2007, someone took a chance on me. I was hired to work on a campaign for a long shot candidate with no name recognition. That candidate was Barack Obama. One campaign led to another. And another. I learned more every single day about what issues deeply impact peoples lives. It clicked for me that the only way to address problems is to lead with empathy and a commitment to taking action. I found my center, and nothing was going to stop me from making this my life’s work. But to advance in a competitive and highly analytical field, I needed more than job experience.

Higher Education changed my daughter and I’s lives forever. Like many people with plenty of ambition but little money, I attended De Anza College where I completed my first two years of college. Like millions of other students, higher education would not have been an option for me without community college. The world class education I received at De Anza prepared me for Mills College, where I earned a Bachelors Degree in Political, Legal, and Economic Analysis (magna cum laude), and also a Masters of Public Policy. While in graduate school, I worked with the ACLU of Northern California to craft policy addressing data security and student privacy rights in public schools.

My personal story and professional experiences built a diverse skillset and established connections with leaders across the spectrum to drive collective action for our community. I specialize in working across all levels of government, but I found my true passion on the municipal level.

I have worked professionally as a campaign staffer, community organizer, education policy analyst, nonprofit program coordinator, research consultant, and as a professor of Political Science. And, of course, as an elected official.

Like most women in elected office, I never saw myself here. On average, women need to be asked seven times to run for office. I am grateful to the people in my life that saw something I hadn’t yet seen in myself. I ran for Sunnyvale City Council because our world, our country, and our city faces challenges never before seen in human history. This moment needs tough people to do be willing to do tough work. My campaign presented a people-centered and deeply principled agenda. From the housing crisis to safe crosswalks, no issue is too big or too “small” to matter. I am most proud of the support I earned from people who disagree with me on many things. Emphasizing honesty and mutual respect allowed me to build a strong coalition of support spanning traditional political divides without compromising my progressive values.

When I became Sunnyvale District 2’s first directly elected representative, I also became the first Latina and the first openly LGBTQ+ person elected in Sunnyvale history. Being the “first” is to accept responsibility for making sure that you are not the last. Since taking office, I have had the privilege of mentoring many young, smart, and qualified individuals starting out in public service.

As your representative I am a fierce housing advocate, working across all levels of government to find solutions to our housing crisis. I push policies to make our streets safer for people to live and travel on. I understand the urgency of our climate crisis and work toward advancing critical infrastructure investments and green initiatives. In a region with one of the world’s starkest economic divides, I never make a decision without taking equity into consideration. The most rewarding part of my job is talking to residents and being able to track down solutions to problems.

On occasion, I enjoy activities and hobbies that have NOTHING to do with politics! My daughter is the most hilarious and fun person I know, so I spend as much time with her as I can before she heads off to college. I love to take weekend trips to visit as much of California as possible. I have long been into fiber arts - knitting, spinning (yes, taking wool and making my own yarn with it using a spinning wheel), and needlepoint. My partner and I enjoy wine tasting and have a little collection of our favorite bottles. Though I don’t do it nearly often enough, I like cooking big meals for people. I am also a huge fan of the show Survivor, which is very much still a thing.

Most recently, I was appointed to serve as Vice Mayor in my second year on council. The next District 2 City Council election is in 2024.