Marizza’s parents both immigrated from the Philippines to California. Born and raised in San Jose, California, her childhood was marked with huge family gatherings, Filipino food, and lots of karaoke.

 

While growing up, Marizza never saw women who resembled her in the field of technology. Her university experience was marked by being one of the few women in her computer programming courses. However, her involvement with Girls Who Code introduced her to the strength found in unity among women. Surrounding herself with diverse women has significantly enhanced her professional and personal life.  However, as a Data Scientist, she acknowledges the gender disparity. Women leave STEM at a 45% rate higher than men do and she believes it’s not a pipeline problem, it’s a culture problem. As an industry, we need to cultivate a culture of belonging to retain women in STEM. As Miss New York USA, she will motivate girls who have a passion for STEM, aiming to be a beacon of representation for them and reminding them that they are so capable.

 

She works closely with non profits such as Girls Who Code and Kode with Klossy who are changing the face of technology.  Locally, she actively volunteers with Bowery Mission, One Love Community Fridge, and the Lower East Side Ecology Center. 

 

In the Philippines there are 3 B’s: Basketball, Boxing, and Beauty Pageants. Marizza is no stranger to pageantry. She was Miss Pacific Coast Teen USA 2017, Miss New York Earth USA, and caught the pageant bug. From pageants, she was discovered by her mother agent in San Francisco. Within months, she was meeting with New York agencies. In the summer of 2017, she signed with Marilyn New York and was off to the Big Apple! The leap of faith paid off and Marizza made her mark.

 

She was featured in Vogue Philippines February 2023, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, and Marie Claire. Other highlights for Marizza include L’Oréal, Lululemon, Kylie Cosmetics campaigns, H&M, American Eagle, Alice & Olivia, Adidas, The North Face, and walking in New York Fashion Week.

 

Marizza’s life ambition is to lead her own sustainable technology startup to combat climate change. She’s currently employed as a data scientist at Rent the Runway, is signed with Stars Model Management, and serves on the Girls Who Code Alumni Advisory Council.