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Marla proudly grew up in Brownsville along the US-Mexico border in the Rio Grande Valley (Puro 956!). They come from a family of Mexican and Honduran immigrants. During the 2016 election, Marla joined the progressive movement of young Texans organizing to empower working class communities like theirs by registering and educating voters. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, they joined Mi Familia Vota Education Fund in Houston as the Census Organizer and worked in coalition for greater transparency and inclusion of community interest within Harris County’s redistricting process. Since then, Marla has led strategic programs in youth leadership development, voter education, electoral campaign organizing, and recently served as a policy analyst on water issues in the 88th Legislative session of Texas. They enjoy birdwatching, art, and spending time with their community, pets, and plants.