After moving from his hometown of La Mirada to play soccer in Romania, 25-year-old former Biola student Andrew Sarega has returned to his roots and is now running for a seat on the La Mirada City Council. Sarega is currently a Newport Beach police officer.

“Biola is a staple of La Mirada and it’s just one of those things that deeply intertwines with our community,” Sarega said.

A Plan for a Better La Mirada

Sarega does not agree with the council’s vision of the future, and wants to be able to inform people about what is happening in the city. The city council proposed Measure I, which would increase the sales tax by 1 percent for any products purchased within the city, applying to both businesses and residents of La Mirada.

“We’ve gone from a city that’s been in a surplus of $40 million to a city that is now declaring fiscal emergency,” he said.

Sacramento’s recent eliminations of Redevelopment Agencies is taking almost $58 million from La Mirada, according to the City of La Mirada website. In addition, the economic recession cost La Mirada approximately $8.3 million, according to the La Mirada website.

“He’s always been a very driven individual,” said men’s soccer coach Bryan Kuderman, for whom Sarega played soccer during his time at Biola.

Sarega was very well connected with the other members on the team, according to Kuderman.

“I think Biola has a reason to back him and be proud of the fact that he’s representing the city that our university is in,” Kuderman said.

Sarega said that La Mirada is a community-oriented city, and that Biola is a major contributor to the success of the community.

“My goal is not so much to impose my own will; it’s to work with residents to better the city,” Sarega said.

Native of La Mirada

Sarega has been a resident of La Mirada for more than 24 years. He attended local public schools up until he went to college. Sarega went on to attend Biola University for a year studying international business. He was a member of the varsity soccer team, where he was able to reunite with a lot of the kids he played soccer with at a younger age.

“It was not only a fun experience as far as athletics and friends, but it was a very godly experience,” Sarega said.

The Christian environment at Biola helped him become more spiritually mature for his trip to Europe, where he played professional soccer for Romania-based FC Drobeta for a year, Sarega said.

“God is very hard to find in those places,” Sarega said about the lack of spiritual life in Europe.

A job as a Newport police officer

Returning to the United States after a foot injury, Sarega applied to work for the Newport Police Department, and received the job without having any prior law enforcement or military background.

“Somehow, God opened the door to allow me to apply, and it’s been a blessing ever since,” he said.

Being a police officer has not only given him the opportunity to serve as a civil servant, Sarega said, but has allowed him to gain insight as to how cities function. It has given him first-hand experience and knowledge about different policies and tactics to ensure public safety for the residents of La Mirada.

“Having grown up in the city, I knew what it used to be like, and I see where it’s going now,” he said.