“Built For These Spaces”: Lessons in Courage From 4 Bold Leaders
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage month, my office hosted a panel discussion with four of Dallas’ boldest thought leaders: Linda García, Marcacio Hernandez, Cassandra Garcia, and Mariel Ruiz. As we close out October, I feel compelled to reflect on their nuggets (more like gold mines) of wisdom.
Nugget #1: “Don’t be afraid to step into new spaces. Or be afraid, but do it anyway.”
Linda García, Texas House of Representatives, District 107
Linda García is rewriting the playbook on leadership. A proud Latina from Orange County and Mesquite, she’s spent her career stepping boldly into white, male-dominated sectors and challenging the status quo. While working at Netflix early in her career, García discovered her knack for investing. Recognizing a gap in financial literacy within the predominantly Hispanic communities she grew up in, she began teaching online courses on investing and personal finance. Confident that financial knowledge builds confidence and leadership, García carried that belief with her to the Texas House of Representatives, where she now serves District 107. Working across party lines, she recently helped push HB27 through the Texas State Legislature. Thanks to García, the state’s Education Code now requires that every student earn credits in financial literacy before graduation.
García’s story is one of unshakeable resilience — of refusing to fold when life deals a hard hand. That strength showed up early. At 14, she became a mother and had to leave her family’s home, but that didn’t stop her from becoming senior class president or joining the drill team. Every time life threw another obstacle her way, she’d “move forward and say, ‘we ball.’”
García’s unapologetic confidence is blazing a trail for others to follow. “The more I’m bold and emboldened to be in these spaces,” she says, “the more I realize I’m built for these spaces.”
Learn more about her story here.
Nugget #2: “Be yourself to your core”
Dr. Macario Hernandez, President of Mountain View College
Between his remarkable storytelling ability and sarcastic humor, Macario Hernandez leaves a lasting impression. Hernandez grew up with the incredible Trini Garza as a mentor, a pioneering leader in public education reform and the first Latino to serve on the Dallas ISD Board. Coincidentally, we were sitting in a conference room named for Garza during the panel discussion, a particularly full circle moment for Hernandez.
Reflecting on his career, Hernandez was “shaped by both good and bad experiences.” In 2020, he was awarded a Master Principal Award for excellence in driving change within his school. Upon his arrival to the venue, an attendee mistook him as a waiter, gesturing for Hernandez to give them a refill to which Hernandez somewhat humorously responded, “I’m the honoree of tonight’s event.” Although frustrating, experiences like these remind Hernandez why he does this work. “Decide what you are going to be with the experiences you’ve been in,” he advised us.
Hernandez now serves as the president of his alma mater, Mountain View College, where he leads with authenticity and passion. In his role, he not only works to improve campus culture and student outcomes, but goes one step further. Recognizing that in order to “get to where we need to be,” we need “collaboration between our education system and the public sector,” he has championed innovative partnerships with businesses and corporations within the DFW area.
Driven by conviction that an exclusively university-based approach is not sufficient in addressing systemic barriers in the education system, he brings his expertise to the National Latino(a) Education Research and Policy Project, or NLERAPP. A truly innovative consortium of organizations and universities, this organization is doing the hard work of dismantling the inequities within our educational system that prevent Latinx students from reaching their full potential.
Learn more about the NLERAPP here.
Nugget #3: “I am worth more than what they are treating me as”
Cassandra Garcia, Director Vickery Meadow Youth Foundation
Every once in a while, I meet someone with such an assured presence that I’m left in awe. This is Cassandra Garcia in a nutshell. A first-generation high school and college graduate, Garcia leads with quiet confidence and unwavering strength. She first discovered her gift for creating spaces where others feel included in college where she served as VP of First Generation Aggies — a student-led organization dedicated to helping first-gen students find belonging on campus. After graduating, she carried that mission forward by joining the board of a nonprofit that empowers Latinx college students through mentorship and scholarship support.
García’s instinct to make others feel valued isn’t accidental — it’s shaped by her own experience as a first-gen student navigating predominantly white spaces. After college, she worked as a legal assistant in Dallas, where she felt pressure to suppress her identity in order to succeed. After three years, she made a choice: she was “worth more than what they were treating [her] as.”
“I want to help, I want to give back.” Garcia realized that her calling was in creating spaces where minority students feel supported, encouraged, and uplifted. She stumbled across Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation, where she now serves as the Director. Based in Dallas’s Vickery Meadow neighborhood—where more than 50 languages are spoken and 10% of residents are refugees—VMYDF creates a space for first-generation scholars and their families to access opportunities in higher education while navigating systemic barriers.
Every day, Garcia encourages her students to “use their voice” and go where they feel they can be their most authentic selves.
Learn more about her incredible organization here.
Nugget #4: “Don’t see your differences as a liability. See them as your superpower”
Mariel Ruiz, Meteorologist, WFAA
Last but certainly not least, is Mariel Ruiz, Emmy-nominated bilingual meteorologist and real-life superwoman (you can't tell me otherwise). Born and raised in Arlington, TX the daughter of two immigrants from Chihuahua, Mexico, Ruiz grew up with a keen interest in meteorology. Reflecting on her childhood, Ruiz can’t recall a time when she wasn’t fascinated by the weather and atmosphere. Every morning, she watched the meteorologists on TV with wide-eyed curiosity but often thought to herself, “That can’t be me.” It wasn’t until Rebecca Miller became the first female Chief Meteorologist to anchor morning weather updates that Ruiz started envisioning herself on screen. Eager to break into the field, she landed a broadcast internship with Miller her junior year at A&M.
Now the first Latina to hold her position at WFAA, Ruiz credits much of her success to “finding [her] allies” — first, a pre-K teacher who recognized and nurtured her passion, and later, Rebecca Miller. Miller encouraged her to “own [her] uniqueness” and embrace broadcasting in both Spanish and English, a skill that distinguishes Ruiz and expands her reach.
One of only a handful of bilingual anchors with the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) accreditation, Ruiz uses her platform as a force for change. Committed to expanding career visibility for young students, especially within the Hispanic community where she was raised, she often visits pre-K classrooms to teach children about the weather and opportunities in STEM.
Ruiz recently revitalized La Vida, a WFAA segment that first gained popularity in the 1990s. Now back and better than ever, it celebrates the rich Latino culture of North Texas and highlights the stories of local business owners and entrepreneurs. Check out some inspiring La Vida stories here.
I feel so lucky to have experienced such an energizing discussion — one that not only celebrated the incredible culture and sense of community within North Texas’s Hispanic population, but also highlighted the personal journeys of four remarkable individuals. If their anecdotes inspired you as much as they did me, check out the Smithsonian’s Our Journeys/Our Stories: Portraits of Latino Achievement to discover more powerful stories from across the Latinx community.
Signing off,
Charlotte