Marina Cotarelo, a Penn State graduate student, announced on Tuesday that she is running for State College Borough Council.
Cotarelo, a Democrat, is working toward a Master of Education degree in higher education at Penn State. She will graduate and May and will remain in State College. She previously earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology from Penn State.
‘State College needs strong leaders who will listen to concerns from all residents of the Borough,’ she said in a release. ‘I am committed to ensuring that the interests of all residents are represented in local government, including the voices of students and young professionals.’
The vice president of Penn State’s Graduate and Professional Student Association, Cotarelo said she has a long history of community service and civic engagement. Last summer she participated in Bike and Build, a cross country cycling for fundraising, volunteering and partnering with organizations to help build affordable homes. She also has been president of Penn State’s Kinesiology Club.
Cotarelo said she wants to promote policies that support local entrepreneurship and keep young people living and working in State College. She added that she will be an advocate for diversity and inclusion, environmental responsibility and students’ rights.
“State College is a special place, but only when we all work together,’ Cotarelo said. ”I believe that it should be the priority of Borough Council to work together and to enact policies aimed at strengthening the community for all residents. We have a tremendous opportunity to empower our young community members, and to help them to view State College as a place they can call home – both during their time at the University, and upon graduation.”
The primary election is May 16.
