California Senate Leader Monique Limón Recognizes Six Women of the Year in Santa Barbara County

On Friday afternoon, California Senator and President pro Tempore Monique Limón honored six women leaders during her annual Women of the Year celebration, which falls during Women’s History Month. Local women from Carpinteria to Santa Maria were recognized for their outstanding work and service to their communities. A crowd of family members, friends, and other local community leaders gathered in the courtyard of the Braille Institute to recognize the honorees. 

Teresa Alvarez, Executive Director of the Carpinteria Children’s Project

Demonstrated by more than a decade of nonprofit community work, Teresa Alvarez has a passion for building equity and opportunity into early childhood education. She also is an active community boardmember, a founder of Latino Giving Circle, and treasurer of Santa Barbara Neighborhood Clinics. She is dedicated to building stronger, more inclusive systems of support for children and families in the Santa Barbara county community.

“As someone who was once an undocumented immigrant, I know firsthand how much opportunity, support, and community matter,” Alvarez said. She went on to say the work that she does is “deeply personal.” During her speech, her son Nico ran up to Alvarez at the podium, where they shared a heartfelt embrace and he stayed peeking from behind the podium at the smiling crowd.

Ingrid Bostrom, Photojournalist, Santa Barbara Independent/Freelance

The Santa Barbara Independent’s own photojournalist Ingrid Bostrom was honored for her compassionate work uplifting the stories of those in the community. Bostrom is not only an accomplished photographer but also an active community member herself.  She serves on the Board of Citizens for Carpinteria Bluffs, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Santa Barbara, Small Town Art Publications, and the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women. She also played a pivotal role in organizing a Juneteenth celebration dedicated to highlighting the work of Black artists.  

“I cannot accept this award without using this moment as a call to myself and to my fellow white folks to use whatever privilege, access, or platform we have, no matter how small, to fight for a more equitable world. To confront the problems of white supremacy and bigotry in all their forms. To work toward repair. To speak up. To step in,” said Bostrom.

Terease Y. Chin, Asian American Community Advocate, Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation

Through her work and recognition as a Life Honorary Director of the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, Terease Y. Chin has helped to bring recognition to Santa Barbara’s Asian American community, both historic and contemporary. Seventeen years ago, she established the Asian American Affinity Group at the Trust, which, among other things, has brought the annual Asian American Film Series and Neighborhood Festival to the community. For more than 20 years, Chin has also been an SBCC English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and a senior trust officer at Montecito Bank & Trust. Her work has brought diversity and preserves the history of Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and other Asian American families in Santa Barbara. 

“We all belong here, and we all share the same goals of being part of an amazing, rich community,” said Chin. 

Ann Saunders McCarty, Executive Director, North County Rape Crisis & Children Protection Center

McCarty has been in her role of executive director since 2015, leading the only 24-hour crisis intervention group available for North County community members who have suffered from sexual abuse and violence. McCarty’s work has helped to expand resources, advocacy, and education for sexual-abuse survivors not just in the moment, but long-term. After a 32-year career, McCarty is looking forward to retirement. 

As a transplant to Santa Barbara County back in 1994, McCarty says that “the center was my home, but now it’s time to go.” She said that she is not worried about the future of the North County Rape Crisis and Children Protection Center, becasue of the fantastic leadership that will still be there. 

“I wouldn’t have lasted 32 years if it hadn’t been for the staff of the center, the colleagues in the community that I work with, but most importantly, my family and my friends.” 

Elisabeth Rizo, Early Childhood Education Specialist (Retired), Santa Barbara City College 

Elizabeth Rizo has spent more than 40 years of her career in education, particularly early childhood development, as a professor and Parenting Department chair at SBCC. She has served as executive director of Orfalea Early Learning Center at SBCC, where she has supported numerous student-parents, employees, and their children while educating the next generation of teachers. Under her direction, the Orfalea Early Learning Center focuses on educating kids ages 6 months to 5 years old through social interaction and creativity in a play-based philosophy. 

She said that “everyone has a story” and that it has been an honor to serve not just the children of the Santa Barbara community, but also their parents. She meets families and students where they are, tailoring to their individual needs.

Erica Ruvalcaba, Executive Director & Founder, Corazón Latino

For two decades, Dr. Erica Ruvalcaba has dedicated her life to helping others get a seat at the table through her work as a professor at Allan Hancock College, Emotional CPR, as a San Luis Obispo First 5 Commissioner and a longtime organizer of Latinx Action Day at the State Capitol.  As the daughter of field workers, she strives to provide others with the resources to build a bright future for themselves. 

The organization she founded two years ago, Corazón Latino, provides culturally informed emotional support groups for the Latinx community of the Central Coast, and beyond, during these tumultuous times. She stressed that “emotional support is something that we really need to provide to all of our community.”

“We have to normalize that it is okay to not be okay. We have to normalize that we need the support, that mental health … is something very serious.”