Lompoc, CA – The Lompoc-Vandenberg Branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) will host the first-ever live virtual dual-language ChangeMakers celebration on March 18 at 7:00 pm featuring iconic women leaders making change.  

Recognizing that women leaders, especially women of color, continue to make significant positive change in our communities, state and nation, yet receive little recognition, AAUW – in collaboration with Allan Hancock College Associated Student Body  Government – sought to highlight and celebrate these ChangeMakers and inspire the next generation of individuals to make change.

The ChangeMakers celebration will feature keynote speakers who are renowned for making positive change:  Dolores Huerta, and California Senator Monique Limón. Ms. Huerta is the Founder and President of the Dolores Huerta Foundation and Co-Founder of the United Farm Workers Group. Her many awards include being the recipient of The Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States.

Ms. Huerta will be joined by newly elected 19th district California State Senator, Monique Limón. Senator  Limón, who was born and raised in the 19th district covering all of Santa Barbara County and half of Ventura County, has worked continuously to serve her community as an educator, a leader, and an advocate for causes advancing the quality of life in her community.

Ms. Huerta and Senator Limón will share their stories of making change and then answer moderated questions from the audience.

The ChangeMakers celebration will also include a live performance from the next generation of women making change, singer songwriters and students Azyiah, Amia and Maliah Simmons. The Simmons Sisters, all of whom attended Lompoc High School in the 2019-20 school year, were the winners of the Hamilton Education contest and were featured on Good Morning America. They were also nominated for the 2021 Lompoc Peace Prize for their work.

Pam Buchanan, President of the Lompoc-Vandenberg Branch of AAUW, said: “AAUW believes it is important to recognize the significance that women leaders, especially women of color, have had in making positive change in our nation, state and communities. We wanted to celebrate and highlight women leaders as ChangeMakers, hence the name of the celebration. Our branch believes it was vital to bring these ChangeMakers to our communities in order to hear their stories and to inspire us all to be ChangeMakers in our own way. We also thought it was critical to have the event available in Spanish and English to remove any language barriers for our communities. We are excited to collaborate with Allan Hancock Associated Student Body Government to bring these inspiring and iconic ChangeMakers to our communities. The event wouldn’t be possible without the generous support from our sponsors:  The Allan Hancock Foundation – Pillar of Change Sponsor, along with the Contributors of Change Sponsors: the Fund for Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Commission for Women and CoastHills Federal Credit Union.”

The event will be live via Zoom on Thursday, March 18, 2021 from 7 to 8 pm.  Advance registration is required at https://lompocvandenberg-ca.aauw.net/. There is no charge to attend.  

As Pam Buchanan put it, “The ChangeMakers celebration coincides with Women’s History Month and these women are making history… today.” The Lompoc-Vandenberg Branch of AAUW was nominated for the 2021 Lompoc Peace Prize for its work.


The American Association of University Women (AAUW) empowers women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. Our nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has more than 170,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 local branches and 800 college and university partners.  Since AAUW’s founding in 1881, members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day — educational, social, economic, and political. Learn more at www.aauw.org.

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