Journey to the American Dream
Mary’s Bio
A mother of two, Mary Geren grew up in Northeast Georgia, the youngest in a family of seven and the only one in her family to graduate high school and college. Achieving one of her childhood dreams, Mary became a teacher, but never in her wildest imagination did she think she would become a college instructor. She was honored to teach English at Clemson University and Tri-County Technical College for 15 years. Mary’s career in higher education, especially on the community college level, was both personally rewarding and inspiring. It was an opportunity to give back to a system that had given her so much. Today, Mary still mentors many of her former students.
In 2018, Mary left her teaching career to follow the calling to run for higher office. After volunteering for over a decade in various capacities for other candidates, she was ready to put her name in the hat. Mary overwhelmingly won her primary to become the Democractic nominee for South Carolina’s third congressional district, breaking voting and fundraising records in her district. Following her congressional bid, Mary served as a Regional Organizing Director for Senator Cory Booker’s presidential campaign, Political Coordinator for DNC Chair, Jaime Harrison’s senatorial race, and Volunteer Coordinator in the 2020 Georgia Senate run-off election. Mary has also served on non-profit boards and has been involved in community service and organizing for a variety of causes. With Mary Geren for Progress, Mary hopes to utilize all of her personal and professional experience to help others be the change they want to see, even when doing so requires good...necessary trouble.
