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The Washington Bus

Staff

Cinthia Illan-Vazquez

Cinthia Illan-Vazquez

Executive Director

Cinthia (she/her/ella) joins the Bus from her role as Community Engagement Manager at the Center for Education Results where she led and supported various community engagement efforts and strategies. Her drive to bring access and equity to our political and civic process solidified when she was a Fellow and, later, the Fellowship Coordinator at the Bus. Previously, Cinthia served as legislative assistant to current Speaker of the Washington State House of Representatives Laurie Jinkins, and as a community organizer with the Washington Dream Coalition, an undocumented and youth-led advocacy organization. She believes in the importance of people-centered movements aimed at dismantling systems of oppression through policy. Cinthia is excited to leverage her skills to amplify the Bus’s mission. Away from the office, she enjoys outdoor activities that connect her to the indigenous lands we are occupying.

You can reach Cinthia by email at cinthia[at]washingtonbus[dot]org.

Fernando Barceló

Fernando Barceló

Operations Manager

Fernando Barceló (he/him) comes from the sunny city of Tucson, AZ where he first became involved with civic engagement before attending Pomona College in California. At his alma mater, Fernando became involved with campus organizing while also coordinating a community outreach program that works to uplift local LGBTQ+ high school students of color. He is excited to get onboard the Bus and help the next generation of activists get involved and create history through community-driven political engagement. In his free time, Fernando loves to study Japanese, watch foreign films, and play video games with his friends.

You can reach Fernando at fernando[at]washingtonbus[dot]org.

Jazmine Smith

Jazmine Smith

Political Manager

Jazmine Smith (she/her) is an educator passionate about advocacy and organizing, and she is thrilled to join the Bus to start working on youth advocacy and empowerment. She graduated from Western Washington University and from there served in the Peace Corps, worked in public education for several years, and was an Organizing and Advocacy fellow with RESULTS. Jazmine brings a bright energy and a passion for civic education to the Bus as well as a desire to center people and dismantle oppression in systems. Outside of work, Jazmine likes to listen to books and podcasts, and talk about bikes, transit, zoning, and niche local politics.

You can reach Jazmine at jazmine[at]washingtonbus[dot]org.

 

Lizbeth Rivera-Estrada

Lizbeth Rivera-Estrada

Leadership Development Manager

Lizbeth (Liz) Rivera-Estrada (She/They, Ella/Elle) joins the bus with years of organizing, mentoring, and advocacy experience in North Central Washington with many immigrant, community, education and youth organizations and coalitions. Liz was born in Nayarit, Mexico, and immigrated to Wenatchee, WA with her family where she has grown up. They recently worked as a fellow with Communities for Our Colleges Coalition in which she helped draft and pass SB 5194 through the state legislature. Liz looks forward to working with young people and continuing to create, support, and be a part of the beautiful, badass, resilient, and empowered communities in WA state. Outside of organizing Lizbeth enjoys reading, making collaborative playlists, and planning for a post-apocalyptic world with their friends.

You can reach Liz at lizbeth[at]washingtonbus[dot]org.

Mehar Singh

Mehar Singh

Development Organizer

Mehar Singh (they/them) is so excited to be joining the Bus as they finish up their BA in Political Science at Western Washington University. They bring with them a wealth of experience in community organizing, including founding Students for Action, an organization that brought young people together to advocate for gun-safe policy in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018. More recently, Mehar has worked on several progressive, grassroots campaigns including Marko Liias’s campaign for WA Lt. Governor. In their free-time, Mehar enjoys PC gaming, making music, cooking new foods, and freedom dreaming!

You can reach Mehar at mehar[at]washingtonbus[dot]org.

Sára Mustre del Rio

Sára Mustre del Rio

Campus Organizer

Sára (she/they/ella) graduated from the University of Washington-Seattle with a double major in Law, Societies and Justice and Sociology. She brings her experience organizing and mentoring Latinx and other BIPOC youth in the King County area and Washington. They have also organized with university student groups during their undergrad. Through her work at the Bus, Sára hopes to mobilize marginalized youth in accessing the tools they need to organize their own political and social initiatives to uplift their communities. In their free time, Sára enjoys playing the bass and guitar, making earrings, painting, baking, and riding her bike around Seattle.

You can reach Sára at sara[at]washingtonbus[dot]org.

Sophie Morada

Sophie Morada

Digital Organizer

Sophie Morada (she/her) grew up in Seattle and studied Art and Asian American Studies at Pomona College. She joins the Bus with a background in grassroots organizing with Filipino youth in Seattle and Southern California, as well as several years of experience mentoring and coalition building with women and nonmen of color on her college campus. She is excited to continue this work at the Bus and connect with and politically organize young people in Washington. In her free time, Sophie enjoys drawing, playing instruments, and finding new music to listen to.

You can reach Sophie at sophie[at]washingtonbus[dot]org.

Vote Bot

Vote Bot

Official Mascot

Vote Bot is a sophisticated democracy robot sent back in time to change the future for one lucky state. And that lucky winner just so happens to be our very own Evergreen State, Washington. They came to us to break down barriers to voting and take names. Vote Bot comes from a place where voter registration is automatic for all eligible voters, turnout for the most local of elections is always 100%, where there’s a voting drop box in every home, and a young person heading out to get civically involved on every street!
Vote Bot isn’t only the hero we have, but the one we deserve. Helping us engage young people in politics and building the next generation of young leaders in Washington is hard wired into Vote Bot, and with them on board the Bus we’ll keep winning year after year!