Meet Scarlet 

Community Leader. Policy Advocate. Educator

At the age of two, I immigrated to the United States from Mexico, with my mother, and the City of Montebello became our new home. I was raised by my mother and aunts in a humble immigrant, working-class household. 

I'm a life-long resident and product of Montebello's school system.  After graduating from Schurr High School, I attended UC Santa Barbara, making me the first in my family to attend a four-year university and graduated in 2015 with a bachelor's in Global Studies, I then joined the Global Human Rights Brigades as an organizer and traveled to Panama, working alongside Panamanian lawyers to provide legal counsel and financial resources for indigenous families in rural and under-resourced communities.

In 2017, I received my Master’s Degree in Public Policy from the University of California Irvine and continued honing my skills in policy analysis and project management. through my work as a research analyst at el Centro de Investigación y Docencias Económicas in Mexico City. After returning, I  advanced my work in advocacy as a program manager in the nonprofit sector, developing and managing programs for working families throughout South East Los Angeles.  My work later expanded to voter empowerment and civic education; as a current Community Outreach Director, I have been active in political organizing, directing outreach operations for campaigns and social justice initiatives. 

For the past 10 years, I have volunteered alongside the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation, YMCA, and resident-led groups, such as Hearts of Montebello to give back to our community. Developing and inspiring the next generation of leaders in Montebello is a priority; as a former mentor for Montebello’s College Bound Today Program, I worked with students and their families in our school district to help them attain higher education. I am also Co-Founder of the Schurr High School's AVID Alumni Fund, where I help raise scholarships for graduating college-bound seniors. 

On November 3rd, 2020,  I was elected to the Montebello City Council and became the youngest female council member and the highest vote-getter in the history of our city. I'm proud to be a catalyst for change and honored to represent the community that raised me.  

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