20 under 40: Janet Núñez-Pineda

Favorite quote or saying, why?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou

This quote has always resonated with the guidance and values imposed on me by my parents throughout the years.

Community or professional highlights:

My professional highlights have been inspired by my lifelong efforts related to community involvement; inadvertently, such experiences impacted my passion for leadership, education and community development. I recently completed my doctorate degree in educational leadership (Ed.D) at California State University, Stanislaus. This was a personal goal of mine in hopes of inspiring other first-generation students (especially young Latina women) to continue working toward their dreams. Statistically, minority women continue to be underrepresented throughout our nation as completing terminal degrees. My hope is to see that number increase through our future generations. Additionally, in 2010, I obtained a master’s degree in educational counseling from University of La Verne, and, in 2005, I completed my bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in criminology and a minor in Spanish at Stanislaus State.

Other community and professional highlights:

David & Lucile Packard Fellowship for predissertation work; promotores program community ally for work in airport neighborhood; Women’s Health Leadership; Orville Wright Elementary Student Council adviser; Employees Making a Difference program, Association of California School Administrators; board of directors – Hispanic Leadership Council of Stanislaus County; Modesto High School Hispanic Youth Leadership Council adviser; Stanislaus State peer mentor; Stanislaus State Student Leadership Program; Chicana/Latina professional, Phi Lambda Rho Sorority Inc.; St. Frances of Rome Catholic Church Youth Leadership; Miss Cinco de Mayo, city of Riverbank.

Your life changed when:

My life changed when I was old enough to realize that society had social constructs based on economic class. This created a unique opportunity for me to have thorough conversations with my friends, family and mentors and reflect upon my identity, my goals, dreams and aspirations. It was at that point that I set a clear vision for my future.

What do you want people to know most about you?

It is important to me that people know that I am a proud daughter of Mexican immigrants who worked extremely hard to invest in my personal and professional success. My family and my cultural Mexican upbringing play a large role in who I am today. I was raised to work hard, be committed, to help others and to treat people with dignity and respect. I’d say that these are the values I attempt to practice and represent in both my personal and professional life at all times. Additionally, I’d want people to know that I truly care about our community. I am a proud resident of Stanislaus County and have a genuine interest in seeing our community thrive. I’d also say relationships are extremely important to me. I enjoy working with people and value being connected to like-minded individuals who care about making a difference.

What do you like most about living here?

I enjoy the “small town” community approach that we have here in Stanislaus County. I mostly enjoy how collaborative and interested our private and public agencies – including the business communities – are in wanting to come together to create positive change in our community. I am a firm believer that it takes a village to raise a child, and we have that here in our county.

Why is community involvement important?

Community involvement is extremely important both as a young person and as an adult. As a young person, it allows for opportunities to get out of your comfort zone and become connected to other individuals from neighboring communities. Through this process you get to make new friends, identify possible mentors for yourself and give back to your community. It also helps you develop skills that will go a long way professionally when trying to get into colleges and universities and/or when applying for future employment.

As an adult, it is extremely rewarding to get involved and give back to the community. Personally, I find much joy and sense of purpose when getting involved in various initiatives. It’s easy to get busy with day-to-day business, but getting connected to local efforts or volunteering and/or becoming a mentor are all things that don’t take a lot of time but go a long way. I truly believe that together we can all make a difference.

This story was originally published August 21, 2016 at 6:01 AM with the headline "20 under 40: Janet Núñez-Pineda."