By Charlize Althea Garcia and Teresa Acosta, Nov. 5, 2024
Three Cal Poly Pomona alumni, who were involved in political campaigns during their time in college, used their political activism as steppingstones into their political careers.
Marie Royce, Jorge Marquez and James Brulte have carved out different paths in the political field, but their journeys in the executive branch, mayorship and the senate, and inspirations contain echoes of each other and the educational foundation they received.
Growing up in Pomona, Marie Royce, who is currently appointee of Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, knew from a young age the direction she wanted to take her career. As an entrepreneur, Royce felt she would be able to create, shape and promote her beliefs through business.
“You have to remember that you’re in charge of your own life, and you have to be realizing that you’re the creative force,” Royce said.
In high school, Royce was required to do community service hours, which led to her interest in community engagement. During her time at CPP, she double majored in human resources and marketing and served as youth chair for Pomona City Councilman G. Stanton Selby, who successfully ran for mayor of Pomona in 1983.
Royce’s journey into politics evolved from a culmination of leadership roles, each giving her more of an ability to impact the community she served as she worked her way up. While at CPP, Royce was chosen to act as a public relations representative for the Los Angeles County Fair. At the time, they were called “fair maidens,” and their duties included event announcements and working with media outlets.
“Through (public relations), I met a lot of government officials,” Royce said. “I started seeing kind of the intersection of community involvement, school and government.”
One of Royce’s greatest honors happened after she applied and was appointed as assistant secretary of state, educational and cultural affairs. During this process, she was nominated by former President Donald Trump, unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate, sworn in by a federal judge and the ceremony was performed by Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy.
Royce credits the supportive environment at the university and the “learn by doing” philosophy for allowing her to be successful. She is a strong proponent for people being clear about what they want and asking for it, staying visible by demonstrating what they are capable of and staying active in their professional pursuits.
“You have to remember that you’re in the driver’s seat of the car,” Royce said, remembering what she said during her 1994 commencement speech at CPP. “Some people are in the passenger and some of you, I said, are even in the trunk.”
Like Royce, Jorge Marquez, who currently sits on the Mutual Water Company Board of Directors, credited the “learn by doing” philosophy of CPP to his involvement in politics. With encouragement from his political science professor William Gossett, Marquez began participating as a delegate in political campaigns.
After watching the political debate between Bill Clinton and Al Gore in 1995 when he was in middle school, Marquez turned to his mother with a slew of questions about how politics worked. This spark of curiosity led him on a journey to CPP to obtain a degree in political science and eventually provided a route to the position of mayor for the city of Covina.
“I think everyone goes into politics hoping to make their community better,” Marquez said. “Obviously, you have some bad apples here and there, but I think deep down, general consensus is most people want to do what’s good for their community.”
During his time at CPP, Marquez took every opportunity available to him whether it was applying for internships or getting involved in student organizations like the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (M.E.Ch.A) and the Latino Business Student Association. His ambition and diligence eventually took him from the college campus to working for a senator, working as a delegate for the Obama campaign in 2007 and eventually working for his community as mayor.
He attributes his success to being present in environments that offered experiences and connections beneficial to his dream career.
“Just get in there and do it,” said Marquez. “Even if you think like you’re not doing much, pick up a broom and sweep the office. Just show up and talk to as many people you can. You never know what door is going to open.”
Wanting to make sure there was a youth voice seated at the table, Marquez became a field deputy in the California State Assembly in 2006, then a senior district representative for the California State Senate in 2010 and finally mayor for the city of Covina in 2013, for which he served two terms.
His political career has always had a focus on water sustainability. Marquez contributes to projects and programs that work to ensure water quality in the San Gabriel Valley for years to come.
“We take care of one of the most precious resources that we have,” Marquez said. “I wanted to make sure that we are now moving in a direction where we have a long-term ability to make sure that we have water sustainability in the San Gabriel Valley.”
As a result of starting his political career at the age of 23, Marquez has struggled with the idea he was not prepared for the positions he has taken. Citing imposter syndrome as the cause of this self-doubt, Marquez encourages students to know they have achieved their positions based on their qualifications.
“You have a seat at the table because you earned your way there,” Marquez said. “Don’t let that intimidation kind of stop you. I know we all have it, but at the end of the day, you know you’re there. You’re there for a reason.”
His struggles with self-doubt were ultimately overcome by his determination to make decisions for his community as a representative for the youth. He wanted to ensure decisions were made for the betterment of future communities.
“Leave it better than how we found it,” said Marquez.
Former California Sen. Jim Brulte displayed the same passion during his time as California State Senator. Noting it as his most important achievement, Brulte was responsible for writing the Safe Arms for Newborns law which allowed for a mother to hand over their newborn to a hospital or fire station within 72 hours post birth, no questions asked.
His interest in government stemmed from his parents’ involvement in local politics. He naturally gravitated toward politics in high school which led him to work on political campaigns with elected officials.
“I met a lot of these elected officials, and I thought, ‘They’re not any smarter than I am,’” Brulte said. “A lot of them weren’t as smart as I was. I thought, ‘I can do this.’ So, I decided to run for office, and I was elected.”
After graduating high school, Brulte first attended Chaffey College and transferred to Azusa Pacific. Due to financial hardship, he had to transfer to CPP.
A commuter himself during collegiate life, Brulte lived in Ontario. He sums up his experience in two activities: work and school. His parents both worked but couldn’t afford to financially support Brulte’s education, leading him to take on the responsibility of putting himself through college.
“I wish I would’ve had the opportunity to be more of a full-time participant,” Brulte said. “I never went to watch a football game or a water polo game or a baseball game. I pretty much went to school in the morning and came home and went to work. I regret that, but we’re all dealt a certain set of cards, and you have to play the cards you’re dealt. And those were the cards I was dealt.”
Brulte spent six years at CPP, earning a degree in political science in 1980, sometimes taking breaks from school to work and save enough money to pay for tuition.
Before graduating, Brulte took on an internship with a U.S. senator and was offered a job immediately after graduation. He moved to Washington D.C. working as a receptionist at the U.S. Senate Office and went on to work for the Republican National Committee. He then became executive director at the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, working closely with the Reagan reelection campaign.
After Reagan’s reelection, Brulte worked in the Reagan-Bush administration as a Schedule C political appointee, working in the Department of Defense and the Department of Housing and Urban Development and worked alongside the Secret Service for former Vice President George H. W. Bush.
Brulte was then elected to the California State Assembly in 1990 for three terms. Nearing the end of his third term, he was elected leader of the Republican Party at the State Assembly. Then in 1996, he was elected to the State Senate.
In his freshman term, he was elected to be the leader of the Republicans in the State Senate, becoming the first freshman in California history to be elected leader of the Republican Party in both houses.
“I’m not sure I’m the most intelligent person in the world,” Brulte said. “I was never going to invent the cure for the common cold, invent the iPhone, but my parents would always say if you want to be a success in life, leave your community better than you found it.”
Growing up, Brulte never thought he would be elected for anything. Introverted by nature, interacting with strangers took a great amount of energy from him, and he was often petrified by the idea of public speaking. It wasn’t until after college he felt capable of becoming a politician.
During his time in office, Brulte wrote legislation that fought for worker’s compensation, bills to equalize education funding and laws that allowed DNA testing in criminal cases. He recalled the most important work he’s ever done was writing the Safe Arms Bill.
“Probably didn’t get everything right, but at the end of the day, when you vote on 10s of thousands of pieces of legislation, you probably get a few votes wrong,” Brulte said. “And happy to admit, I got a few votes wrong in hindsight.”
Feature image courtesy of James Brulte
