Your Role: Communications Consultant

Background: Mariah works with NFYI members, staff, and community partners to lift up foster youth voices, engage the community, and share the programs and impact of the organization. Her first role at NFYI was organizing the annual Congressional Shadow Day Program, an event she calls one of the most challenging and rewarding of her professional life. Mariah has more than 10 years of experience in telling stories and organizing people to create change in her communities. She has worked on traditional and digital communications for political campaigns and elected officials like current VP Kamala Harris, Senator Alex Padilla, Congressmember Karen Bass, and Supervisor Holly Mitchell. Before working with campaigns and communities, Mariah covered those same issues as TV journalist and documentary filmmaker. She has a BA in English from Boston University and an MA in Journalism from New York University. Mariah is an award-winning volunteer/youth mentor. She lives in Austin, TX with her husband, son, and rescue pup.

Why she likes working at NFYI: The people! This is the most dedicated group of people I’ve ever met and they inspire me to work hard and believe that NFYI’s mission is possible to achieve. From the talented delegates at Shadow Day, to the determined members of the local chapters, to the legislators who listen, to the staff, this is an incredible group of people!

Hobbies/Passion: Mariah enjoys traveling to new places, lifting weights, and anything food related.

Fun personal fact: Mariah completed a triathlon. Once.