Elizabeth Guzman came to the US when she was a young mother, with a high school diploma. She came to the US, like many other immigrants, seeking a better future. She made Virginia home, and has been a resident of Prince William County for more than 15 years. Motivated to give her young daughter a better life, she took on three jobs, and became active in her community. While raising her daughter and working, she also went to college. She first attended a local community college in Virginia, and then moved on to complete her bachelor’s degrees in Public Safety form Capella University. Believing that education was the key to opportunities and success, while raising four kids, she continued her college education and obtained two masters degrees, one in Public Administration from the American University, and the other in Social Work from the University of Southern California. Her daughter is now 25, and the other three were born in the US. She now works as the Division Chief for Administrative Services for the City of Alexandria, in Virginia. She is also a candidate for the 31st District in Virginia’s House of Delegates, challenging eight-term incumbent, Republican Scott Lingamfelter. If elected, Ms. Guzman would be the first Latina elected to the Virginia General Assembly.
Elizabeth’s story represents today’s face of America: Immigrants that have become new Americans, and whose contributions are an integral part of the fabric of every community. These individuals are about giving to their communities, and finding ways to improve the lives of those around them. This is what drives Ms. Guzman, and what has motivated her to run for the 31st District House of Delegates seat. She believes that her challenges, and most of the issues she has dealt with, while living in the County, are similar to those of other residents. Though now established, she has a strong grasp for the issues affecting the most vulnerable, as she too struggled for some time. She believes that it is not only a calling to continue the work she does in the community, but that in many ways, this is her way to give back to a community, that through her hard work and sacrifice made it possible for her to provide a better life for her children. She also hopes to make history on November 7th, 2017.
