My name is Mariela Pizarro-Silva, and I was born and raised in Salinas, California. I attended César E. Chávez Elementary School, Buena Vista Middle School, and Salinas High School. I am proud to be the granddaughter of four Mexican immigrants: Eva & Rafael Silva and Lucila & Domingo Pizarro. I am currently a sophomore at Stanford University, where I plan to design my own major in Justice & Liberation Studies.
I am a staff member at El Centro Chicano y Latino and the Co-Commissioner of Direct Action for MEChA de Estánfor. I plan to use my Stanford degree to give back to the city that shaped me. I am passionate about dance (like my Mami), basketball (like my Papi), and most of all, employing radical love for people as a tool to fight for social justice on its many fronts. I hope to use my Stanford degree to give back to the city that shaped me, possibly as a team member of the Dream Academy someday.