year in order to care for him. She also withdrew from a MBA program in which she was enrolled. Her son's condition inspired Marin to become an advocate for the mentally disabled. During this time, she founded the first support group for Latino parents with Down's children as well as Fuerza ("Force"), an organization dedicated to providing services and support to mentally disabled children, and lobbied state officials in Sacramento on their behalf. It was also during this time, while counseling pregnant women with disabled children, that Marin became a supporter of abortion rights. Marin's efforts came to the notice of state officials and, in 1992, she was appointed the chief of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Developmental Services by Governor Pete Wilson. At DDS, Marin worked for legislation to benefit the mentally challenged. Two years later, Marin was named chair of the Council on Developmental Disabilities where she continued to advocate for the mentally disabled and their families. For her work on behalf of the mentally disabled, Marin received the "Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Prize" by the United Nations in 1995, the second person to receive the award. Finally, in 1996, Marin was appointed the assistant deputy director for the Department of Social Services. Political career In addition to her public advocacy work, Marin became politically involved. She had been influenced to join the Republican Party (GOP) by her boss at City National after she naturalized in 1984. Additionally, Marin was inspired by what she felt she shared with the ideology of President Ronald Reagan: "Personal responsibility. Small government. Strong national defense." In 1994, while still working in the Wilson Administration, Marin ran for a city council seat in Huntington Park and won. She served seven years on the council, including a term as mayor from 1999 to 2000 – the first Hispanic to hold that post in the city's history. During her tenure, Marin was known as a law-and-order politician and was credited with various public safety initiatives that reformed the police department, increased its funding, and reduced crime by 50%. She also instituted a task force to combat air pollution in response to a government study that listed Huntington Park as one of several communities particularly at risk and launched a crackdown on a black market for illegal documentation. Despite her political registration, Marin was overwhelmingly re-elected to the council in 1999. Marin was also known for