By Jondi Gumz
Sissi Chavez Garcia has been selected as a Cabrillo College Local Government Fellow.
She graduated with honors from Cabrillo this year and will continue her studies as a political science major at UCLA in the fall. She is the first in her family to attend college.
Sissi Chavez Garcia
As a Local Government Fellow, Chavez Garcia will receive a $1,000 scholarship, an internship in with the City of Santa Cruz in the summer of 2025, and a mentor.
She said, “I am honored to be selected as a Cabrillo Local Government Fellow. This opportunity will help me discover new roles in local government, and I hope to give back to my community one day. I am very excited to meet new people and learn new skills.”
She has identified three areas of interest: Politics, working with a district attorney, and county clerk. She also is appreciative of the networking opportunities this program creates.
The Fellows program was created in 2021 by current and former local government leaders throughout Santa Cruz County and the Cabrillo College Foundation. The goal is to encourage and support Cabrillo College students, with preference to those who are the first in their family to attend college, to pursue careers in local government.
Arne Croce, a Cabrillo alum, former city manager and one of the program organizers, said, “Ms. Chavez Garcia exemplifies the student we had in mind when the Fellowship was established: strong academic performance, a motivation to learn and grow, and a passion for local government service. We are grateful for the generous community support which makes this program possible. We are excited for Sissi and look forward to her future.”
The 2023 Cabrillo College Local Government Fellows, Mateo Donato and Justin Lopez, graduated from Cabrillo this year. Dustin is doing an internship this summer with the City of Scotts Valley and Mateo is doing an internship with the City of Capitola.
Dustin will attend UC Santa Cruz in the fall, and Mateo will attend Cal State Long Beach.
Effective, efficient local government is critical to communities. Planning, infrastructure, public safety, libraries, parks and recreation, elections management, and health and social services are essential to a high quality of life and robust economy. Developing dedicated, competent, and diverse future local government leaders is key to maintaining the essential services provided by cities, counties, and special districts.
