She put herself through Los Angeles Mission College, earning a degree in Interdisciplinary and Paralegal Studies. She believes education is the great equalizer and that every person, regardless of income or immigration status, deserves access to a safe, high‑quality, and affordable public education.

Mariana began her career as a paralegal serving low‑income families at Legal Aid in Los Angeles. After moving to Arizona, she continued her public service at the Arizona Attorney General’s Office, assisting in the prosecution of air and water polluters and protecting wildlife. Seeing Arizona’s public schools consistently underfunded and families struggling without meaningful action, she ran for her local school board to be part of the solution.

She served four years on the Agua Fria Union High School District Governing Board, focusing on expanding opportunities for underserved students and improving teacher pay. She also serves as an Ex‑Officio Member of the Arizona Latino School Board Association. Determined to fight for stronger public schools at the state level, she ran for the legislature—first in 2020, and again in 2022, when she was elected to represent Legislative District 23 in the Arizona House of Representatives.

District 23 spans four counties, Maricopa, Yuma, Pima, and Pinal, and includes urban, suburban, rural, and tribal communities. It contains the largest stretch of the U.S.–Mexico border in Arizona and is home to the Tohono O’odham Nation, the Cocopah Tribe, and part of the Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe.

With more than two decades of public service, Mariana approaches her work in the Legislature with one goal: to make life better for the people she serves and ensure every Arizonan has the opportunity to thrive.