Marián was born in Valencia, Venezuela and lived there until the first grade when her family moved to South Florida. Marián is blessed to have grown up with incredibly loving and supportive family and friends, and in a city with tons of cultural diversity, beautiful beaches, and delicious food. She completed high school with an associates thanks to an early college program in Davie, Florida called College Academy, which allowed her extra time and flexibility to explore her interests in college before deciding her career track. She graduated with degrees in Political Science and Economics from the University of Florida and was a teacher in Denver, Colorado for two years before pursuing a career in the policy world full time. With a strong belief in social justice, she hopes to be able to increase graduation rates for students from historically underserved backgrounds through policy work, so that more students have access to the higher paying, more stable jobs that often come with a credential of value.  In her free time, Marián loves to spend time with family and friends, read, explore nature, and travel.