Maria Pulido: Bell Gardens City Council Member. Guess Her Major?

Major: Human Development

Degree: BA, class of 2012, minor in Criminal Justice. 

Maria Pulido

Maria Pulido’s CSULB journey began as an incoming Freshman and Marine Biology Major. But like a fish out of water, she knew that it wasn’t the right fit for her career aspirations. Not one to flounder for long, Pulido eventually found her way as a Human Development Major and discovered that it was her life’s passion to help people. As an undergraduate student, she interned at Briarcrest Nursing Center in Bell Gardens and eventually became the activities department assistant. Following the tragic death of former Mayor Daniel Crespo, Pulido was presented the opportunity to step into a new role.

Pulido applied for the position just like everyone else, but believes that she was chosen because she went the extra mile to prove that she was the right candidate. Like other applicants, she advocated for herself and wrote letters of interest to each of the current council members. What differentiated her from the crowd, however, was that she requested to meet the council members before the decision was made. During this meeting they spoke about what she could offer if chosen for the position. This extra step was not required of applicants, but it paid off for Pulido in the end. The city decided to forgo a special election and appointed 24-year-old Pulido on November 24th, 2014 as one of the youngest persons ever to hold a council seat in the city of Bell Gardens.

As a City Council Member, Pulido’s priorities include collaborating with her City Council colleagues to find common ground and solutions to the many challenges that face their community. Her focus is on continuing to provide essential services like public safety and working with community groups like Neighborhood Watch to maintain Bell Garden’s current low crime rate. Other goals of Pulido’s include maintaining the city’s parks and recreation programs, the local public transportation system, and the ongoing effort to attract affordable housing projects. Pulido will serve as a council member for 3 years, in which she hopes to bring about much positive change for the city and its residents. While the foreseeable future is one full of politics for Pulido, she plans to return to CSULB in 2015 to earn her Masters in Social Work.