Hidden Gems: Meet Veronica Aguilar of Young & Empowered Women

Today we’d like to introduce you to Veronica Aguilar.

Hi Veronica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a proud Arizona native and first-generation college student whose life mission is to promote equity within education and blaze the trail for women leaders. Prior to launching my nonprofit Young & Empowered Women, I served as a Teach For America corps member teaching 4th grade and coaching a high school spirit line team at ASU Preparatory Academy in Phoenix. Teach For America is an organization that works to ensure all children no matter what zip code they are born into, they have the opportunity to attain an excellent education.

I unapologetically believed my students would succeed and overcome the racial and systemic barriers that exist in the education system. My 4th graders were able to beat the odds and improved their end-of-year state reading exams and my dance team took home three first-place state title championships. After witnessing the disparate classroom experiences students receive based on their zip code, I wanted to scale my impact by joining the Teach For America National Recruitment Team and recruit the next generation of leaders.

During my time as a recruitment director, my team was able to bring Arizona State University 10 rankings up to the top-three contributing school in the country for the first time in its history, recruiting more than 300 Sun Devils to low-income communities. I am so proud of these Sun Devils who are truly making an impact in our communities by making systemic change in education.

My passion for serving others, led me to arrive in my current role as Assistant Vice President- Outreach at Arizona State University. I serve as a senior leader on the team that provides strategy, direction and oversight to increase the number of students to enroll and receive access to a college education from various pathways including foster youth, upskilling and transfer students.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in Business and received my MBA with a Leadership emphasis from W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University to learn the business skills needed to be an even stronger advocate to others. I was thankful to be a recipient of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and Empowering Diversity Scholarship from Fiesta Bowl/Blue Cross Blue Shield and had the opportunity to achieve my dreams and be the first in my family to graduate with both a bachelors and masters degree.

As a proud Arizona native, I work tirelessly to improve the community by empowering others and serving on various boards. My deep belief for Teach For America’s mission led me to be the chair for the TFA Arizona Alumni Leadership Board. I am also part of the Valley Leadership- Catalyze program and a member of the Young Professionals Council at Big Brothers, Big Sisters- Central Arizona. I also participated as a co-host for the Arizona PBS television segment, ‘Break It Down’ that takes a deep dive into the issues that are impacting the Phoenix community. I researched hot topics such as diversity, education and gender inequity and facilitates conversations with high-profile guests.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life brings us many obstacles that can turn into opportunity. My personal struggles helped me to find my passions and put them into purpose. As an only child, I witnessed my parents work tirelessly throughout my life to give me access to an excellent education. They taught me the importance of a quality education, which led me to be a successful student, teacher and leader.

The financial crisis of 2008 completely changed my world view and as a first-generation college student, I knew my education at Arizona State University would alter the destiny for me and my family. The financial crisis was a turning point because I witnessed first hand the inequities that exist in our education system. I was a recipient of several academic scholarships that supported me in my final year at Arizona State University, which is how I discovered my calling to advocate for all students no matter what zipcode or socioeconomic status they are born into.

This obstacle inspired me to join Teah For America, begin my journey in education and put me on a career path that emphasizes service, education and empowerment for others.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Young & Empowered Women (Y&E) was created to provide professional development and networking opportunities to a diverse group of rising female leaders that are passionate about service, career advancement and empowering others. Our mission is to raise awareness and educate others on women’s rights, empowerment and equity through professional development sessions, mentorship and service opportunities.

There is a clear gender gap that we continue to see that is limiting our women with economic opportunities, not only in the United States, but across the world. Young & Empowered Women is working to help solve this complex problem by providing transformational opportunities for women to reach their full potential and break down these barriers.

Based in Phoenix, Y&E has members from around the country and continues expanding with every cohort. Our members come from a diverse group of professional backgrounds, including the education, nonprofit, medical, political, and corporate sectors. While our professional goals differ, all Y&E members share a vision of strengthening the community and raising awareness of the complexity women face in the workplace.

This organization was created to connect and impact young women from various sectors at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time when networking and career coaching needed to be redefined. I identified a need for women to come together and empower each other during difficult circumstances and after our first meeting in June 2020, the members knew this organization was something special. As a group, we bring up topics such as diversity, personal branding, and how to be a powerful leader in male-dominated industries.

As founder and chairman of Y&E, I am so honored and proud of the work we have done as an organization to bring together and lift uprising leaders. I oversee the Board of Directors, executive committee and serve as the spokesperson for the organization. I provide one-on-one coaching for each of our members to support and develop their career trajectory.

I am very thankful for the dedication from our supporters and advocates for their invaluable time and contributions towards the growth and future of Y&E. We are continuing to grow our membership and in the process of recruiting for our fourth cohort of female leaders that will start in January 2022.

What are your plans for the future?
As an education and women’s empowerment advocate, my goal is to pave the way for others who want to solve a societal problem. I hope to achieve this goal by staying grounded in the mission of my work and lead with love, equity and optimism.

In the future, it is my intent to grow Young & Empowered Women as a nationally well-known, recognized nonprofit organization and impact as many rising female leaders as possible. I also hope to continue leading in K-12 and higher education by being part of large-scale change at Arizona State University to ensure as many students are able to receive a college education.

On a personal level, my goal is to lead a happy, healthy and fulfilled life with my parents, boyfriend and friends in Arizona as I continue to develop and impact my community. I will pursue leadership opportunities on local and state boards, volunteer activities and potentially run for school board in the future and become a college professor.

Pricing:

• Y&E Membership: $85.00 annual

Contact Info:

• Email: vaaguila@asu.edu
• Website: https://www.yewomensassociation.com/
• Instagram: instagram.com/aguilar1490
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vunitaguilar/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/aguilar1490

Image Credits
Career and Professional Development Services ASU
Lauren Hawks
Arizona PBS
Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
Arizona State University