Raising the Bar

Liliana Diaz immigrated to the United States from Guerrero, Mexico when she was just five years old in 1988 and her family settled in the Mott Haven area of the Bronx. Growing up in this area proved to be very influential in Diaz's life. After witnessing the prevalence of drug use and dealing, HIV/AIDS, poverty, and neighborhood violence, she became interested in helping the youth of her community gain access to educational opportunities that she now considers to be integral to her success.

After being urged by her family to become a doctor, Diaz attended the Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics High School in East Harlem and became a Mt. Sinai Scholar. While participating in the Mt. Sinai program, Diaz met many people whom she credits with exposing her to educational and professional opportunities that she never knew existed. Diaz began to see the ways in which she could give back to her community so that local children could have access to proper education and health care. While in college at Cornell University, Diaz founded The Association for the Advancement of Mexican People in order to promote the maintenance of Mexican culture in Mexican-American youth. She is also a member of the board of directors of the Mexican American Students' Alliance. She organized a celebration of the Mexican holiday Children's Day to serve over 400 local children in the Bronx in conjunction with local churches. She also became a certified "Make-A-Wish" Foundation Wish Granter to bring joy to terminally ill children and their families. During the summer of 2004, Diaz participated in the Public Policy and International Affairs Junior Summer Institute Fellowship program at UC Berkeley, where she realized that she was interested in public health policy instead of medicine. Diaz received the Cornell University Leadership and Public Service Award when she graduated from Cornell Cum Laude in May 2005.

After graduation, Diaz knew she wanted to return to New York, and to the Bronx community more specifically, so that she could serve the community that shaped her desire to pursue higher education. In 2005-2006, she served New York City as an Urban Fellow at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Health Care Access and Improvement Division. She now attends New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and she will receive her master's degree in health policy and management. She currently works as a tutor for Bronx youth and hopes to serve as a role model to other bright kids who are living in disadvantaged areas like Diaz grew up in.

Diaz decided to run for Bronx County Committee member because she sees it as another way to provide Bronx children with successful mentors and exposure to a variety of life experiences. After becoming an American citizen a few years ago, she and her father voted together for the first time when she went to the polls this fall. As County Committee member, Diaz sees her experience in local politics as just another new opportunity to "feel the joy of contributing to other people's lives."

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