[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 120 (Thursday, July 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECOGNIZING MARI TISERA

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2023

  Ms. MATSUI. Mr. Speaker, it is with profound sadness that I rise to 
honor the life and service of my former intern, Mari Tisera, who passed 
away on June 6, 2023, at the age of 20. Mari's legacy will be 
remembered through her passion and dedication for helping marginalized 
and underserved communities and her kindness to all those she knew.
  Mari Tisera was born on July 29, 2002, into a family that emigrated 
from Argentina to the United States 2 years earlier. Mari's family 
moved to the United States in order to provide Mari and her 3 older 
brothers better opportunities and a stronger future. Raised in Front 
Royal, Virginia, Mari was a standout student at Wakefield Country Day 
School in Huntly, Virginia, where she excelled in a variety of academic 
subjects, served her community, and was a fierce athlete. Some of 
Mari's many accomplishments include being chosen by all the coaches in 
her volleyball league for the Delany Athletic Conference All-Conference 
Team and working hard as a leader in student government. A first-
generation Argentinian American, Mari enjoyed volunteering at a local 
elementary school as a Spanish to English translator for summer school 
students who were learning English as a second language.
  Mari attended George Mason University, where she studied Spanish and 
Government and was a sweetheart for Zeta Psi, a position that she was 
very proud of because of the love and goodness that she was 
contributing to the fraternity. She dreamed of being a lawyer and had 
always been passionate about the ethics of law and government. Mari's 
dedication to serving all communities and for standing up for what is 
right continued in college. She organized marches for women's, LGBTQ, 
and Black rights, and continually fought for the rights of the 
unhoused.
  It was wonderful having Mari serve in my Capitol Hill office at the 
end of 2021 and the beginning of 2022. She worked hard, was eager to 
learn, and served my constituents and all visitors with kindness and 
warmth. I know that Mari has said that all of us in the office had a 
positive impact on her, but she also had a positive impact on all of us 
who worked with her that we will never forget. Mari wanted to come back 
and work in our office after she graduated, and it would have been an 
honor to have her back on our team.
  Mr. Speaker, today we honor Mari Tisera and the many hearts that she 
has touched as a daughter, sister, aunt, friend, leader, and advocate. 
Her vibrant spirit, enduring determination, and genuine kindness should 
serve as an example to all of us of what it means to be a good person 
in this world.

                          ____________________