José was born and raised in Nicaragua and moved to Miami at the age of 11. He currently resides in Washington, D.C., where he is the Director of Government Relations at the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). In this role he advocates for community colleges and the students they serve. He previously spent time in Congress working for Congresswoman Roybal-Allard (CA-40) and Congressman Raul Grijalva (AZ-03). As a first-generation college student, José is a proud alumnus of the Machen Florida Opportunity Scholars (MFOS) program, which allowed him to attend the University of Florida without the financial burden of the rising costs of college. José graduated in 2014 with a B.A. in Political Science and International Studies, with a focus on Latin America. Prior to moving to DC, José lived in Miami, where he taught high school ESL. In his spare time, José enjoys playing (and watching) soccer, and reading.