How a child of Paraguayan immigrants became 1st Latina leader of Valley of the Sun United Way
Brenda Muñoz Murguia, Arizona RepublicValley of the Sun United Way's first Latina CEO, Carla Vargas Jasa, poses for a portrait at the VSUW offices on Jan. 20, 2023, in Phoenix, Ariz.Valley of the Sun United Way has been serving Maricopa County since 1927, tackling systemic inequities that lead to issues in health, housing, education and employment.
“I didn't even know that until I read the press release that the group had drafted and asked me to approve before it was sent out announcing me coming onboard,” Vargas Jasa told The Arizona Republic. “I was like, really? So yeah, it did surprise me and certainly was an honor.” After being jailed and tortured for leading protests against the dictatorship, Vargas Jasa’s parents left the country as soon as they married.
Vargas Jasa didn’t learn to speak Spanish fluently until her family moved to Mexico for a couple of years while her father was working in Guadalajara. Vargas Jasa remained in California for a few years and used the legal skills she learned during college to work as a legal advocate at a domestic violence shelter organization, assisting women in filing restraining orders and guiding them in other legal procedures.
“It felt like every day we would wake up and not know what was going to be going on that day,” Vargas Jasa said. “And so, you know, that was hard. It's hard for anybody, right? It was hard for me too but you know, you need to roll with it. And I feel like I really stepped into my authentic leadership style during that time frame.”
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