Board Ready: Stephanie Ruiz on Finding Her Voice and Making Space for Youth Leadership

Описание: Stephanie Ruiz graduated with her environmental science degree in May 2024. Months later, she was sitting on the San Joaquin River Conservancy Board, the youngest member in the room, advocating for the communities she grew up in. She'll be the first to tell you she almost didn't apply.

In this episode of Board Ready, Stephanie shares her path from hesitant applicant to youth board member, including the real friction of navigating an unclear application process, wrestling with imposter syndrome, and learning to speak up even when the room isn't moving in the direction she believes in.

This one is for young Latinas who feel the pull toward public service but aren't sure they're ready yet. Stephanie's story is a reminder that you don't need all the answers. You just need to show up.

✨ Board Ready is produced by the Latina Appointments Collaborative, a project of HOPE (Hispanas Organized for Political Equality). Learn more at https://www.latinasgetinvolved.org

00:00 – Intro: Meet Stephanie Ruiz
00:50 – Growing up in Fresno and the roots of her environmental passion
03:00 – Hesitation, doubt, and the question that changed everything
04:10 – What the application process was actually like
05:53 – How the Latina Appointments Collaborative made a difference
07:32 – Overcoming imposter syndrome
09:12 – Being the youngest in the room and learning to claim space
11:10 – Preparing to speak up: her one-comment rule
14:09 – Support she wishes more youth board members had
15:35 – Skills she's building: public speaking and bilingual expression
19:21 – The most powerful part of being a youth representative
19:55 – What she'd say to young people who feel too inexperienced
21:16 – Her one piece of advice: find your people and take the leap

#LatinaLeadership #PublicService #HOPE #LatinasGetInvolved #BoardReady #WomenInLeadership #CaliforniaBoards