Meet our volunteer Marin! Marin helps out with many duties at the front desk and helps keep the office running! You can catch Marin’s smiling face during our office hours throughout the week! If you’re interested in volunteering at the support desk, join us for our next volunteer orientation.
Birthdate, Astro sign.
My birthday is November 22nd, and I’m a Sagittarius.
Where are you originally from?
I’m from northwestern New Jersey.
When and why did you start volunteering at the DC Center?
I started volunteering in March. I was between jobs at the time and looking for ways to connect with the community and build potential professional skills.
What has been your favorite part about volunteering with the DC Center so far?
Working the front desk has made me significantly more comfortable talking to people, especially on the phone.
What is your favorite event that the DC Center offers?
I love going to the Women in their Twenties and Thirties meetings, it’s been such a great way to meet new friends in my age group.
What is your favorite part about the LGBTQ+ community?
Our optimism and resilience. No matter what challenges we face, our community is ultimately founded on the concepts of love and self-determination, ensuring that we always celebrate ourselves and each other above all else.
Who do you look up to in the queer community?
My idol right now is Hayley Kiyoko. Her music and videography over the last few years has really chronicled her coming into her own as a lesbian and gaining the confidence to embrace that label proudly, a powerful mirror for my own journey.
What is your favorite spot in DC and what do you do there?
I absolutely love the United States Botanic Garden up near the Capitol. Just spending time among the greenery there is the best way to get a little taste of summer during the colder months.
What is your favorite queer movie?
Love, Simon. I’ve seen it three times, and each time it’s made me laugh and cry even harder than the last.
What clothing item is a staple in your wardrobe?
I have so many tank tops. They’re absolutely essential for summer wear and winter layering alike.
Who are you most inspired by?
There are so many amazing progressive leaders right now it’s hard to pick just one, but I have a tremendous admiration for Reverend William Barber. I had the privilege of hearing him speak at the Creating Change conference last year, and it has been amazing to see him continuing MLK’s legacy with the Poor People’s Campaign in 2018.
What is your favorite DC neighborhood?
Probably Brookland, the neighborhood I live in! I take walks there almost every day past the university and through the center of town, and I always enjoy exploring the various studios on the Arts Walk.
What is your go to restaurant and what do you order?
If there’s a Busboys and Poets nearby, you can bet on that as my go-to. Their burgers are fantastic, as are their many progressive books and activist events.
If you could live in any decade (past or future) which would it be and why?
I would love to live in the future, particularly in the age of widespread manned space travel. I’ve always been captivated by the idea of other habitable worlds and it would be amazing to be able to see them within my own lifetime.
Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?
Definitely a night owl! I work late into the evening so I’m glad my internal clock matches up with that schedule.