Mariel De Paz was born in Mexico and came to the United States when she was 6 years old, where she was then raised in South San Francisco, California. Mariel currently attends San Francisco State University, working towards a Bachelor’s in Political Science. She is also the secretary for I.D.E.A.S. (Improving Dreams Equity Access and Success), an organization focused on helping AB540 and undocumented students on campus. Mariel aspires to become a Juvenile Probations Officer, pursuing a career that is built around the foundation of helping to improve her community, particularly the youth.

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Growing up in an immigrant community, Mariel has been exposed to the needs communities have. Mariel believes that if we want to see changes in our communities, we need to work with and invest in our youth. To demonstrate this passionate commitment, she has volunteered in her community to help with summer programs that help young people stay focused and active.

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As a DreamSF Fellow, Mariel is currently placed at We Rise San Francisco, an organization focused on helping immigrant union members and their families with legal services. Mariel’s role at We Rise SF is to provide one on one help to union members, taking care of in-take forms and letting them know their options in their legal cases. She is also assisting in outreach projects.