Meet Luz
Luz Rivas is an engineer, educator and public servant from the San Fernando Valley.
Luz’s First Communion at Mary Immaculate Church in Pacoima Luz grew up in the Northeast San Fernando Valley.
Luz’s parents immigrated from Mexico. She grew up in Pacoima with a single mother that worked multiple jobs to support her daughters. Initially, the family rented a room in a house, and later lived in a converted garage and back houses throughout the Valley. Her mother took night classes to learn English and office skills.
Luz attended Los Angeles public schools.
Her fifth grade teacher at Telfair Elementary School in Pacoima encouraged her to learn about computers. This is where Luz first became interested in a STEM career.
At Pacoima Junior High, she continued taking computer science classes.
Luz attended San Fernando High School where she graduated with honors. At SFHS, she continued pursuing STEM classes and participated in drill team, leadership, and other extra curricular activities while also working two jobs to help her mom pay for rent and food.
Luz is a graduate of MIT and Harvard
Luz earned a scholarship to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. After college, she worked as an electrical engineer for Motorola. Her passion to get kids interested in engineering led her to pursue a Master of Education degree from Harvard University.
In 2012, Luz founded DIY Girls
As the founder of DIY (Do it Yourself) Girls, a non-profit organization in the San Fernando Valley dedicated to helping girls become interested in science and engineering, Luz has helped set thousands of young women on the path towards economic empowerment, independence, and self-confidence. Many of those girls are now graduating from college, ready and able to embark on careers that will benefit their families and communities.
Luz represented the San Fernando Valley in the California State Assembly
Luz served in the State Assembly for six years. Her priority was to uplift and empower underrepresented communities. She was successful as a leader in delivering substantive policy and in securing over $70 million in state funding for infrastructure, education, and healthcare projects in the Valley. She was recognized for her leadership by labor unions and community organizations. She advocated for environmental justice and worked to increase access to to computer science and climate change education across California.
Luz is running to represent California’s 29th Congressional District
Luz was elected to the House of Representatives in 2025 to represent the San Fernando Valley. In her first term, she was elected to serve in House Democratic Leadership as the Freshman Leadership Representative. Luz is a member of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Armenian Caucus and the Democratic Women’s Caucus. She is the co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional STEM Education Caucus.
California’s 29th District is home to over 750,000 people in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. The district includes the City of San Fernando and the City of Los Angeles communities of Arleta, Lake View Terrace, Mission Hills, North Hills, North Hollywood, Pacoima, Panorama City, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Sun Valley, Sylmar, Toluca Lake, Valley Glen, Valley Village, and Van Nuys.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives write and vote on federal laws, including the federal budget. Each represents one district and serves a two-year term. Tax bills must start in the House, only the House can impeach federal officials, and members oversee federal agencies through their committees.