Harvey Mudd College Director of\u00a0Community Engagement Gabriela Gamiz was one of those honored by U.S. Congressional Representative Judy Chu (CA\u201327) during the annual Women of the Year Awards to honor local women in the San Gabriel Valley who have contributed to the community through service, organizing or leadership.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an incredible ceremony,\u201d says Gamiz, who was one of 11 women recognized at the event April 14. \u201cI loved meeting and hearing life stories from wonderful women in our local communities who are change agents and contributors to making our communities a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gamiz and the other recipients\u2014including volunteers, community activists, school board members and civil-rights activists\u2014were nominated by constituents of their respective cities for their contributions to the district. Gamiz (representing Claremont) received seven nomination letters, more than any nominee had received in the event\u2019s nine-year history.<\/p>\n
Since joining the staff at Harvey Mudd in 1995, Gamiz has held a variety of positions, including directing the Upward Bound program and serving as administrator for Homework Hotline. Gamiz says she is guided by a personal mission, \u201cto listen to and work with community members to nurture and grow native leaders who then take ownership and leadership of programs, services and initiatives that bring resources to our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
A first-generation college student herself, Gamiz finds fulfillment in working to improve the experience of people in similar situations through programs like the Upward Bound Math and Science Center. \u201cAs a daughter of immigrant parents, whose first language was not English, I saw each family\u2019s life story as my life story,\u201d she says. \u201cIt meant a lot to me to share my story and encourage other students who faced similar situations to continue their educational journey despite adversities.\u201d<\/p>\n
Given Gamiz\u2019s passion for her work, it\u2019s no surprise that more than the usual amount of award nominations were submitted on her behalf.<\/p>\n
\u201cReceiving the award was a double special honor because I found out that a group of HMC alumnae wrote letters of nomination, some of which Congresswoman Chu read,\u201d she says. \u201cI am humbled,\u00a0honored and inspired.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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