In 1950, Méndez received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Puerto Rico, afterwards teaching high school chemistry on the island.
She became involved in the fight for better government through her family members and became an active leader in the area of voter registration drives throughout the nation.
[3] In 1972, Méndez was elected as a New York Delegate, committed to Senator George McGovern at the Democratic National Convention.
In 1993, Méndez became the first Puerto Rican woman to be chosen Chairperson of the Senate Minority Conference.
[6] New York City's Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, an Independent, who was both a former Democrat and a former Republican, credited Méndez with impressing upon him the "importance of reaching across partisan lines to do what's right for your constituents."
Bloomberg stated the following:[7] That's a lesson I carry with me every day, and one that's informed our administration's approach to everything we do, including the issues Olga focused on most acutely: educating our children, creating jobs, supporting small businesses, and developing affordable housing ... [D]iagnosed with cancer in the early 1990s, Olga didn't recoil from public life or attempt to hide her condition.
But Olga's legacy will live on with all New Yorkers who benefited from this incomparable woman, who courageously broke barriers and overcame obstacles in her way.