Marisol Samayoa
Communications Director

Communications Director with Florida House Victory

Woodrow Wilson, Class of 2011

Cal State Long Beach, Class of 2016

B.A. in Political Science & Journalism 

‘My passion is making sure we have leaders at the local and state level that will pass laws to improve everyday lives.’

Why did you join InnerCity Struggle? 

I grew up in Boyle Heights for most of my life. I was born and raised in L.A. When I joined InnerCity Struggle I met people who were fighting for families like mine. So for those four years, I was really passionate about social justice, community service and challenging those who represent us to do more for the community.

What impact did you make as a student leader?

I was part of the campaign to get Esteban E. Torres High School built. It was one of my prouder achievements, in addition to winning a Mexican American studies course at Wilson High School. And I was able to actually take that course. I took the class that I fought for. That solidified for me that I wanted to be in public service. 

What are you doing now? 

I’m the Communications Director working with Florida House Victory, which is the campaign arm of the Democratic Caucus. We’ve been able to successfully elect seven new members to the House of Representatives. 

My passion is really making sure we have leaders at the local and state level that will pass laws and improve everyday lives. I came to Florida because there was an opportunity to make a dent in the House of Representatives. That’s really important to me. I’m passionate about local and state politics and how they impact our day-to-day lives. All of that is really important to me and it’s not being fulfilled in the state of Florida.

How did being a part of InnerCity Struggle as a youth impact who you are today?

My mentor at InnerCity Struggle, Jasmine, wrote my recommendation letter for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. I was one of 40 young people selected for a three-month paid internship to go to D.C. and work for Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard. I then worked on Mayor Robert Garcia’s campaign in Long Beach, and when he was elected I worked for him. I enjoyed working in government but really missed campaigns. 

I made the choice to move to Florida in June of 2015 to work on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. I graduated in May that year and had 12 days to move to Florida. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. I didn’t care about the logistics. This job was going to make a difference. I also knew I could use my bilingual skills to help out the campaign. My role was Digital Organizer, where I was able to use my digital and community organizing experience and combine it into one. To take that energy online and I took it offline into the voting booth, into volunteering, into making phone calls. I loved that job so much.

What advice would you give to young people today?

I would really encourage them to get internships or volunteer on campaigns. That’s how I was able to get my start in politics. The earlier you can start in politics, it’s better for our communities and it’s better for people. Stay engaged and get engaged really early on. 

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