Lorena Austin, an elected Arizona State Representative for Legislative District 9, State of Arizona, is serving a second term for the cities of Mesa and Tempe. Lorena serves with various nonprofits advocating for further funding and prioritizes support for working class families and public education.
A 2018 MCC graduate earning an Associate in Arts with Honors, they currently serve on Appropriations and Public Safety committees and is the ranking Democrat for the International Trade Committee. Lorena also serves on the Latino Caucus and LGBTQ+ Caucus.
Born and raised in Mesa, they enrolled at MCC in 2006. Although they did well in their first few classes, math was a barrier that resulted in a nine year hiatus from MCC.
When Lorena returned at 26, they not only passed math but became an MCC summer camp counselor, secured a position in Student Life and Leadership, and became an honors student and student body president.
Upon graduation in 2018, Lorena received a full scholarship to Arizona State University through the Next Generation Service Corps. As an intern at the Maricopa County Community College District, they formed the Maricopa Student Senate to create a unified voice for students, faculty, and staff at the district’s 10 colleges. Implemented by the Governing Board in 2019, it continues to this day.
After graduating from ASU in 2020 they became the Student Government Advisor for the Associated Students of Mesa Community College, providing mentorship, instruction, and training on student government policies and procedures. Lorena left MCC upon election to the Arizona State House of Representatives in 2022.
Lorena credits MCC for enabling them to live up to their truest potential and the reason they have traveled the globe, been elected to the state legislature, and served the Mesa community. In July 2025, Lorena became the first in their family to attend Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.