Although the Women of Inspiration fundraiser luncheon for Girls Inc. of Carpinteria looked different than previous years, the messages from inspirational women and girls were as moving and powerful as ever.
Held virtually via Zoom on April 12, the interactive luncheon was facilitated by Girls Inc. Eureka! member Yuri Hernandez and staff member and recent alumna Marisa Mata, who introduced the 2021 Women of Inspiration.
The 2021 honorees included Nirasha Rodriguez, executive chef and owner of Carpinteria-based The Food Liaison; Natalia Alarcon, Carpinteria councilwoman and the first Latina woman and the youngest to hold a seat on the council since 2012; and April Nunez, a longtime educator in the Carpinteria Unified School District and adviser and creator of the Celebrating Adversity, Diversity and Education Club (CADE).
The honorees were presented with awards and thanked for the important work they continue to do in the community.
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria inducted its first-ever junior honorees, who joined the roster of Women of Inspiration recipients. Girls Inc. members and Eureka! participants Isa Alarcon and Laura Flores received the special recognition as junior honorees for their accomplishments.
“Like Laura and Isa, so many of our girls are motivated and future-minded, and we know that education is a key step to helping girls overcome barriers. We are proud to support them as they pursue their dreams and aim high,” said Kenya Rodriguez, program director at Girls Inc. of Carpinteria who recognized the recipients on stage.
Part of the virtual event was to raise $30,000 in scholarship funds for girls. The goal was exceeded during the course of the program.
Event sponsors included top Ambassador Chevron, along with Leader sponsors Avantor/Nusil, Chonnie Bliss Jacobson, the Linked Foundation, Montecito Bank & Trust, and Sandra and Sam Tyler, and Mobilizer sponsors AGIA, CARP Growers, Marni and Michael Cooney, Bet and Grant Cox of Grant Cox Enterprises, Griffith & Thornburgh LLP, Gail Persoon and many others.
Executive Director Jamie Collins recognized this year’s local and national scholarship recipients: Isa Alarcon ($20,000), Briana Rodriguez ($5,000), Laura Flores ($5,000) and Dulce Perez ($5,000).
“I immediately felt comfortable at Girls Inc. because I found a safe place to learn about my sexuality and discuss my mental health,” Alarcon said. “Its approach to mental health, the mentorships I’ve received through one-on-one conversations, and the group check-ins are resources that have uplifted me.”
Local business owner and author Jenny Schatzle, creator of Bond Fitness (formerly the Jenny Schatzle Program), was tapped as the keynote speaker. She energetically jumped on stage donned in white athletic shoes, which she said she needed as her speaking style was to be comfortable and move around a lot.
From her fitness facility in Santa Barbara to helping people across the globe, Schatzle has crafted a movement that challenges the way people see themselves. Her program is as much about health and wellness as it is about positivity, self-love and letting go of the negative behavior that limits success.
A UCSB graduate, Schatzle has been featured in dozens of publications and media outlets around the world. She was named Female Business Owner of the Year in 2015 by the National Association of Women Business Owners. Her newest book, “Breaking the Cycle,” was released last year.
Schatzle shared that her motivation to help women feel good about themselves stemmed from her own insecurities growing up. She said she spent most of her life displeased with the way she looked and feeling like she wasn’t enough, until she realized the outside validation she was constantly seeking would never make her happy. Thus, she changed the conversation and broke the cycle.
“When I was growing up, there weren’t a lot of things that made me feel strong, smart and bold. The message was that I wasn’t thin enough, not smart enough and not worthy enough,” she said. “My father wasn’t around a lot. I remember when I was 6 years old and he wanted to coach me in sports. It was the first time I remember my dad wanting to spend time with me. But when he came to pick me up to go to the field, it didn’t happen. He couldn’t stay sober. However, I created my story that I wasn’t good enough for my father to stay sober. That story lasted until I was 40 years old. Eight years ago, I stopped drinking and I gave that story back to my dad.
“The most powerful thing we can do as women is know that we are enough and have conversations that uplift us and the women around us. We have the power to accept ourselves — mind, body, and soul.”
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria is a member of Girls Incorporated, a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart and bold. Its programming focuses on the development of the whole girl, delivering programs and experiences designed to equip girls to overcome serious barriers and grow up healthy, educated and independent.
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria serves more than 1,100 youths in the Carpinteria Valley and Ventura County, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.
Click here for more information about Girls Inc. of Carpinteria, or call 805.684.6364.
— Noozhawk contributing writer Rochelle Rose can be reached at rrose@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
