Marissa has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Baylor University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas School of Law.

Marissa is the Labor & Employment Legal Counsel for Houston Methodist, the No. 1 hospital in Texas.

Prior to joining Houston Methodist, Marissa was a HR Business Partner at Legacy Community Health and a Senior Employee Relations Consultant at Texas Children's Hospital.

Marissa has served as Deputy Senior Legal Counsel to Hope Andrade Commissioner Representing Employers at the Texas Workforce Commission in Austin, Texas.

A passionate advocate for abused children, Marissa has served on the Texas Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) statewide board.

Marissa is a former co-chair of the Houston Bar Association's Gender Fairness Committee and has volunteered on a Houston Rodeo Committee since 2017.

In January 2025, Marissa was sworn-in as a Director for the Texas Lyceum, which is a nonpartisan group of statewide Texas leaders that explores and addresses issues facing the state.

Marissa was born and raised in Laredo, Texas and is fluent in Spanish.