My heart is in the 29th Congressional District. It was my home from the time I was a year old and lived in the communities of San Fernando, Sylmar and Mission Hills. I attended San Fernando elementary, Olive Vista Jr. High, Sylmar High, and Mission College.
From an early age I learned what it was like to have to struggle to care for your family. My single mother raised me and my two siblings all by herself on a maid’s wages. On Saturdays she brought me with her so that I could help her clean. I loved that I got to spend that time with my mother but I didn’t like having to get up early to take very long bus rides from Mission Hills to Calabasas because we couldn’t afford a car. I worked hard with her but received no pay or allowance because she considered my work as contributing to the household income.
My mother sacrificed a lot in hopes that my siblings and I could someday live the American dream. I’ve worked hard to not let her down and I am living the middle class American dream as is the rest of my family thanks to my mother.
Rather than complain about things, it is better to be a part of the solution.
I was bitten by the political bug when I was in the 10th grade and my history teacher ran for a seat on the school board. He instilled in me the notion that it is important to contribute to your community in a positive way — and that rather than complain about things, it is better to be a part of the solution.
As I got older, I continued to learn about politics and the political process by volunteering for other people that ran for office with an agenda that I believed in. That led me to run for a seat on the Mission Hills Neighborhood Council.
I felt such joy and pride when the community of Mission Hills voted me in and soon after I was appointed by the board to be the president of the council. I was the youngest Neighborhood Council president, not only in Mission Hills but in the entire Neighborhood Council system in all of Los Angeles. In the entire history of the Neighborhood Council System, I am the first and only one to run for Congress.
I served as president of the Mission Hills Neighborhood Council from 2008-2012. My experience on the council shaped my ideas about serving the public. I was able to recruit amazing board members either by supporting them to run or by appointing them to existing vacancies. I am proud of the fact that we had one of the most vibrant neighborhood councils in all of Los Angeles.
One of the things I am proudest of is the Movie in the Park event that I started in my first year on the council. This event brought the community together in very large numbers with people coming from neighboring communities as well.
After leaving the neighborhood council I decided to take a break from public service so that I could explore other interests; things I always wanted to try. Living in Los Angeles, I was always curious about the entertainment industry so I decided to pursue a job in TV. I have been working in entertainment for over four years now and while I have enjoyed the work and the many fascinating people I’ve met and had a chance to work with, I felt that something was missing and that was public service which is where my heart really is.
I have been inspired and energized by the amazing amount of energy surrounding the 2016 presidential campaign and could not resist the pull to become engaged in politics once again.
I am coming in to this race to help move the country out of the establishment box which has not been working very well for many years.
Some people have asked me how I can expect to be elected to Congress because I have so little political experience. My answer to that is that everyone started new in politics. It doesn’t take experience to have strong feelings and ideas of how to help people and make lives better. I am coming in to this race to help move the country out of the establishment box which has not been working very well for many years.
It is time to put the needs of the middle class citizens, the very heart of this nation, first.
I am running for Congress in the 29th District because my roots are here, my family is still here, and my heart is here.
