María Samaniego is currently the Programs Director at Voto Latino, where she coordinates professional development conferences to train Latino Millennials in leadership, advocacy, and media & technology. Prior to joining Voto Latino, she managed partnerships and grant deliverables for Occidental College’s Neighborhood Partnership Program, organized leadership and advocacy conferences for middle and high school students, and trained undergraduates in data-driven best practices to increase the number of underrepresented youth in higher education.

Her passion for working with underserved communities drove her work as Diversity Program Administrator at the California Institute of Technology, where she managed programs supporting minority, women, and LGBTQ students. Additionally, María has served as the National Director of Cultural Affairs for Lambda Theta Nu Sorority, Inc., where she guided Latina students in developing culturally-relevant programming for their college campuses and as Executive Administrator for Viva Panama, a California-based nonprofit focused on raising awareness of Panamanian culture.

María holds a Master’s degree in Education from Michigan State University, a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies from California State University, Los Angeles and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Chicano Studies from the University of California, Davis where she was awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Service Excellence Award.