Luz Rivas is the definition of a homegrown public servant, dedicating nearly a decade to representing the San Fernando Valley with pride and putting her hometown of Pacoima on the map with her accomplishments as an engineer, educator, nonprofit founder and state assemblymember.
Rivas is now making her mark in the U.S. House of Representatives as a freshman congressmember representing the 29th District — which includes the communities of Toluca Lake, North Hollywood, Van Nuys, Panorama City, San Fernando and others — while making history as the first Latina to represent the district and the only Latina in Congress with a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) background.
While new to Washington, Rivas is no stranger to the most pressing issues facing the country today. In Congress, she’s building on the progress she achieved in California by tackling the effects of climate change, protecting immigrant and underrepresented communities, expanding access to STEM education and careers, and more — all while continuing to serve and uplift communities in L.A. and the Valley.
Woman in STEM
Rivas is a self-described “proud lifelong daughter of the San Fernando Valley.” She and her sister were raised by their mother, who emigrated from Mexico and worked multiple jobs to support them while also taking night classes to learn English and office skills. Some of Rivas’ fondest childhood memories include “doing a lot of things that Valley kids did,” such as hanging out at Laurel Plaza shopping mall and the Ice Chalet skating rink (both now home to NOHO West) in North Hollywood. She also enjoyed attending local public schools, where she was first introduced to the life-changing world of STEM.
It all began in fifth grade, when Rivas’ teacher at Telfair Elementary School showed the class how to program an Apple IIe computer and encouraged them to explore technology. This sparked her interest, leading her to take computer science, math and physics courses at Pacoima Junior High and San Fernando High School. In high school, she was an honor student who excelled in her studies while working two jobs to help support her family and juggling extracurriculars like drill team and leadership. “I think that’s where I got started in terms of public service, and back then it was service to our high school and to our community,” she recalls of her senior year student council work. “And it just always continued in some form or another, volunteering or tutoring, and just trying to make our community better.”
Rivas went on to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where she was one of the few women of color pursuing electrical engineering. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1995 and began working at Motorola in Chicago.
While serving as a volunteer mentor, she noticed a significant gap in students’ understanding of what engineers did and the pathways available to pursue STEM education and careers. This realization moved her to create change and inspire youth, especially young girls, to explore STEM. Motivated by this mission, she left her corporate job to earn a master’s degree in education with a specialization in technology from Harvard University. “I think that especially for young women from this community, who are, like me, a child of Mexican immigrants who grew up here in the Valley, it’s possible to do anything with the help of mentors and teachers who are here and dedicated to helping young people succeed in the Valley,” Rivas says.
In 2012, she returned home to found DIY Girls, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young girls to become interested in technology and engineering through innovative mentorship, educational experiences and professional development. The organization’s programs, resources and opportunities have helped thousands of young people gain the confidence to embark on paths toward higher education and STEM careers that benefit their communities.
Since founding DIY Girls, Rivas has witnessed growing enthusiasm among Valley educators, parents and the broader community for introducing youth to STEM. She has seen notable growth in robotics programs, STEM-focused after-school activities and summer camps.
“A lot of the people who have participated in these programs, or the girls I know who participated in DIY Girls when they were 10 years old, are now studying STEM careers or have just graduated from college,” Rivas shares. “They keep in touch and update me on where they are on their journey, and it’s so satisfying to see that a lot of them will come back to their high school or elementary school to talk to kids about their success or where they are in their career. They’re continuing to mentor the next generation.”
Representing Her Home
Through DIY Girls, Rivas built invaluable connections with educators and community leaders across the Valley, including her own representative, former Congressmember Tony Cárdenas, also an electrical engineer, who applauded her work in his district. She also found a supporter in her friend and high school and MIT classmate, now-Senator Alex Padilla. “I knew a lot of people who had entered public service who I grew up with, and that’s how I got connected into running for office,” she says. “They thought of me when there was an opening in the State Assembly, and they mentored me and they helped me get there.”
In 2018, Rivas was elected to represent the 43rd Assembly District in the California State Legislature. During her tenure, she secured $70 million in state funding for infrastructure, education and health care projects in the Valley; authored legislation to provide services to homeless K–12 children and fund housing and homelessness-related initiatives; led efforts to ensure free school lunches; and kept thousands of jobs in California and the Valley through the California film tax credit program.
Her STEM background also helped her shape policy and craft legislation that expanded access to computer science education and addressed the impacts of climate change. As chair of the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources, she authored a bill establishing a statewide extreme heat ranking system to help local governments prepare for heatwaves, as well as the first-ever bill requiring climate change education in California public schools.
After six and a half years representing the Valley in Sacramento, Rivas sought to champion her community on a larger scale and announced her candidacy for the 29th Congressional District in 2023, running on a platform prioritizing the needs of working families. “There are many issues that California leads on — such as climate, STEM education, the environment and immigration — and I thought that this was an opportunity now to work to make sure that the country also leads on them.… There are lots of issues that I think are important to the communities I represent,” she explains. “And my congressman [Cárdenas] was retiring from public office, and he told me and encouraged me to run. I made the decision, and I’m excited and honored to now represent this district in the House of Representatives.”
Soon after Rivas was sworn into Congress in January, during her first week on the job, the Hurst Fire broke out in Sylmar on the same day the destructive Palisades and Eaton fires began — bringing her and other California representatives back home. They joined forces to advocate for Federal Emergency Management Agency response and additional aid to assist those affected by the wildfires. “It was a great learning experience; I got to know the other California members right away,” she remarks. “Ever since then, there’s always something we have to advocate for or work toward.”
Right now, Rivas says a major challenge facing her district is immigration. Since early June, her office has been flooded with calls from concerned constituents seeking guidance on new federal policies, which she notes are impacting small businesses and the broader economy as well as people’s daily lives.
Health care is another urgent issue. She explains that 52% of people in the district rely on Medicaid, and recent federal cuts in health spending have raised uncertainties among “clinics, local hospitals, health care workers and people who will lose their health care.”
In addition, as a member of the House committees on Natural Resources and Science, Space, and Technology, she continues to address policy on climate change and emerging issues such as artificial intelligence, which the federal government is still determining how to regulate. She’s also expanding on her work in California to improve access to STEM careers, authoring the STEM Pathways for the Future Act — her first bill as a congressmember — which aims to rebuild the STEM workforce by fostering educational and apprenticeship opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds.
A Connected Community
When asked what she admires most about Toluca Lake, Rivas highlights its hallmark charms — a small-town village vibe, unique local businesses and tight-knit community. “I think those of us who live not too far from Toluca Lake like going there because of that feel,” she says. “Even though we’re in a big city, it still kind of has that atmosphere where people will recognize you when you go and have breakfast, like at Red Maple. It just feels like a very connected community.”
Over the past year, Rivas has enjoyed reconnecting with the community at events such as the Magical Holiday Parade, Old-Fashioned Pancake Breakfast and National Night Out, as well as through her Small Business Walk along Riverside Drive, where she spoke with residents and learned about the needs of local businesses.
She’s also participated in meetings with neighborhood groups like the Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce, where she heard from the business community. “We’re hoping to work together to promote resources that the federal government may have to help businesses in Toluca Lake,” she says. Regarding the neighborhood more broadly, she notes that her office can help with any federal agency — whether people are having issues obtaining passports, resolving tax matters with the IRS or accessing Social Security, “we can advocate for constituents. I always encourage them to call my office if they’re having any issues with those agencies.”
Looking ahead, Rivas is focused on fostering the relationships she has built in Toluca Lake and across the district, working in partnership with community members to bring sustainable change that enhances quality of life in the Valley now and for the future.
“This is an amazing job. I love representing the district, I love serving and I’m always open to new ideas,” she says. “I want to continue to bring resources and connect constituents to resources that will make their lives better. I encourage them to reach out to my office with ideas and to invite me to events. I like going to a lot of events in the district and meeting new people.”