OCA Intern Alum: Jaclyn Marmol
Written by Kent Tong
WHILE ATTENDING THE EAST COAST ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENT UNION CONFERENCE in 2017, Jaclyn Marmol approached OCA’s table at the resource fair, curious about what the organization was. A junior at the time studying political science at Virginia Tech, Marmol was new to advocacy and social justice but eager to dive in. As a second-generation Filipino American born to immigrant parents, OCA’s mission of advocating for all AAPIs resonated with her, and after a friend interned with OCA that summer and shared how much they enjoyed it, she was sold. Thankfully, OCA was sold on her too, as she was accepted into the summer internship program the following year.
Through the OCA internship, Marmol was placed to work at the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies (APAICS). There, she supported APAICS’s efforts in building the AANHPI pipeline for public service, engaged with many elected officials and their staffers, and did a lot of event planning. “No day was the same, which made it exciting,” she remembers.
One of her fondest memories from that summer was having lunch with the late Norman Y. Mineta, the former transportation secretary who served under President George W. Bush. As the founder of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and a giant in the AANHPI political and public sector space, “it was surreal being able to break literal and figurative bread with him,” Marmol says. Secretary Mineta paved the way for many AANHPIs like her to break into public service.
Marmol left OCA with a better understanding of her identity as an Asian American woman and clarity of what she wanted to do with her life. “I wasn’t aware of all the struggles our community historically faced and how important it was to speak up,” she says. “I left the internship inspired to advocate for my community and empowered to navigate this world.” Since the OCA internship, she has served as the vice chair of the Virginia Young Democrats’ AAPI Caucus; political intern with End Citizens United; legislative intern for Representative Mark Takano; and staff aide for the Fairfax County School Board, the largest school district in Virginia and the tenth largest in the country.
Marmol (right) pictured behind Sen. Warner and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg during a grant announcement event in Arlington, VA (Photo Credit: Shana Oshinskie)
Representation in government is a particular passion of Marmol's. "AANHPIs are a powerful electorate who deserve representation that not only looks like them, but that will fight for them and uplift those who need it," she explains. Currently based in Falls Church, Virginia, where she was born and raised, Marmol is fulfilling this passion by serving as the regional director for Senator Mark Warner, leading outreach efforts for the senator in Northern Virginia, representing his office at external functions, and organizing community engagement opportunities to strengthen ties with local organizations and promote the diversity of voices that comprise the Commonwealth.