30 Under 30 Awardee Amber Mariano ’17

Amber Mariano made history in 2016 when she became the youngest person elected to the Florida House of Representatives at the age of 21. As an advocate for higher education in the Legislature, she has worked on expanding Bright Futures Scholarship funding, renewing the Florida Prepaid College Savings Plan, and refunding the excess credit hour surcharge for students who graduate on time. Before starting her professional political career, Mariano was a UCF LEAD Scholar, legislative scholar and actively involved in UCF’s Student Government Association as the Senate President Pro Tempore. She still returns to UCF often to speak to student organizations to encourage them that it is never too early to become politically engaged. Majored in political science.