Marin Voice: Leadership Academy graduation a reminder that our voices belong here
December 17, 2024
By Cris Parra
PUBLISHED: December 16, 2024 at 1:00 PM PST
On Dec. 5, I took the stage before the Marin County Board of Supervisors at the Civic Center. I did so with 21 of my neighbors from the Canal area of San Rafael. We were joined by our families, friends and community members, over 100 people in all, to celebrate the graduation of the fifth cohort of Latino leaders from Canal Alliance’s new civic engagement Leadership Academy.
It was the first time most of us had been in that room and certainly the first time any of us had been on that stage with a mic in our hands. I am confident it won’t be the last.
Launched in February, the Leadership Academy is a program I run with our Policy and Civic Engagement staff; we have now graduated 73 students into the world. Enrollees are all Latino. Most are from the Canal, where over 70% of Marin County’s Latino population living below the federal poverty line resides.
The Canal neighborhood is at grave risk of flooding due to sea level rise. Its residents endure overcrowded housing and often work multiple jobs to make ends meet.
While many families have been here for generations, many others are newcomers, predominantly from remote areas of Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico. My family, friends and neighbors face many challenges: immigration legal hurdles, language barriers, food insecurity, high rent, low-paying jobs and poor health outcomes (to name just a few).
As I always say whenever I share my story: To find the way forward, all I have ever needed is a tiny guiding light. The rest I can do myself.
The Leadership Academy is that light for the students. Our curriculum provides a comprehensive understanding of leadership principles and practices. From defining leadership and understanding different leadership styles to mastering interpersonal communication and conflict resolution, our workshops delve into the core components that contribute to effective leadership.
Our goal is to equip our Latino students with the skills to advocate for change in our community, advance racial equity in Marin County and transform the Canal neighborhood into a place where our families and children can thrive.
And it’s working.
All of our graduates have become active (or move involved) in the community. They volunteer with Voces del Canal and perform community service. They serve as leaders in our churches, school associations and on committees for the city. Those committees include the San Rafael Police Advisory and Accountability Committee, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the Pickleweed Advisory Committee.
Several new graduates — Darlin Ruiz, Ana Hernández, Oscar Nesta Velásquez, Marina Sánchez, Gener Humberto Ake, Sandra Ramírez, Tammy Sánchez and Berenice González — spoke of their desire to leverage their recently acquired advocacy skills and never give up.
They gave examples of how leadership can exist in all spaces: at home, church, school, community and within government. They called on the Latino community in Marin to work together. They talked about their work to support young people in our neighborhood, to keep them safe. They shared their commitment to pursuing self-improvement each day, to always grow. Most importantly, they shared their voices.
Elected representatives from the county and city joined the event to listen and offer words of support. Marin District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni encouraged students to view themselves as agents of change. San Rafael District 1 Councilmember Maika Llorens Gulati, the first elected Hispanic representative on San Rafael’s council, spoke about her own immigration experience and the importance of perseverance.
San Rafael Mayor Kate Conlin reassured the audience of their safety here in San Rafael, as well as the value of their voices and participation in civic spaces. San Rafael Police Captain Roy León shared his department’s commitment to the Latino community. Marin County District 1 Supervisor Mary Sackett provided words of encouragement too, delivering her speech in Spanish, a language she learned several years ago.
As I look to the future, I am excited for my community, for my neighborhood and for the future of this program. As Canal Alliance CEO Omar Carrera said at the graduation, he hopes that one day soon we will have a Latino representative on the Board of Supervisors. I share his hope.
Because our voices belong here.
Cris Parra is senior coordinator of civic engagement at Canal Alliance, a San Rafael-based nonprofit organization.
