California Women Lead Scholarship
This scholarship provides up to $2,500, along with training, coaching, and networking opportunities to support the professional growth and goals of women and gender-expansive participants in the Capitol Fellows program.
The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls are honored to once again provide grant funding to support this critical effort to increase support for diverse women and gender expansive people working in state government. If we are going to change the systems that were not originally built with women in mind, it is imperative that we support the active participation of those who have been historically excluded. Congratulations to this year’s scholarship recipients – we can’t wait to see what you do as you lead California into the future!
Press Release
The CA Women Lead Scholarship Breakfast celebrated the achievements and ambitions of all forty scholarship recipients who were awarded with a $2,500 scholarship each. These scholarships will support the participation of diverse women and gender expansive students participating in the Capitol Fellows Programs, by helping to offset the cost of living as they launch their careers through this valuable program. Click the button below to learn more.
Meet the 2023 California Women Lead Scholarship Recipients!
California Women Lead, in partnership with the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, today announced the recipients of the California Women Lead Scholarship Program for women enrolled in the 2023 Capitol Fellows program. Recipients will receive up to $2,500, along with training, coaching, and networking opportunities to support their professional growth and goals.
Recipients of the 2023 California Women Lead Scholarship
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Alejandra Zamora |
Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) |
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Alisha Singh |
San Bernardino County Superior Court |
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Amaya Childes |
Office of Senator Becker |
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Angelene Villanueva Obedoza |
San Mateo County Superior Court |
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Athena Sanchez |
The Maddy Institute/ Office of Governor Gavin Newsom, Communications Department |
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Aurora Schunemann |
Office of Senator Lena Gonzalez |
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Blair Elizabeth Huxman |
Assembly Republican Caucus of Policy and Budget |
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Britney Ortiz |
CA High-Speed Rail Authority |
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Cayley Chan |
Office of Senator Mike McGuire |
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Chelsy Alfaro |
Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency |
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Chloe Alexandria Shin |
Office of Senator Tom Umberg |
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Clarissa Dominguez |
Office of Assemblymember Miguel Santiago |
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Clarissa Erin Maloney |
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research |
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Crystal Horn |
Office of Senator Kelly Seyarto |
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Daniela Garcia-Hernandez |
Office of Senator Susan Rubio |
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Fabiola Moreno Ruelas |
Office of Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia |
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Grace Curtis |
Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) |
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Hayley Fernandes |
Office of Senator Roger Niello |
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Isabella Valdez Martinez |
Office of Senator Monique Limón |
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Jocelyn Tapia |
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research |
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Katherine Squire |
Office of Senator Anthony Portantino |
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Kehinde Ojeikere |
Office of Assemblymember Tina McKinnor |
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Kristal Hilda Padilla |
Office of Senator Josh Newman |
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Krystal Raynes |
Office of Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin |
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Laura Pelaez |
California Department of Health Care Services |
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Margaret (Mo) Roeckl-Navazio |
California Department of Public Health |
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Maria Martinez |
Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development |
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Mariah Bickham |
California Governor’s Office Of Emergency Services |
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Mariela Frias |
Office of Assemblymember Mia Bonta |
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Maryana Khames |
Office of Assemblymember Lisa Calderon |
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Naslie Rezaei |
Sacramento Superior Court |
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Nicole Figueroa |
Judicial Council of California Office of Governmental Affairs |
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Nina Le Nguyen |
Office of Senator Bill Dodd |
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Samantha Araceli Elizalde |
Office of Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gomez Reyes |
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Sana Jaffery |
Office of Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula |
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Sauntharya Manikandan |
Strategic Growth Council |
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Sierra Maciorowski |
California Air Resources Board |
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Teagan Felknor-Edwards |
California Conservation Corps |
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Yannet Leticia Martinez |
Superior Court of California, County of Orange |
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Yessica Mox |
California Student Aid Commission |
History of the Scholarship Program
In 2022, California Women Lead (CaWL), in partnership with the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG), announced the first round of California Women Lead Scholarships designed to support the leadership journey and professional growth of women in the Capitol Fellows program in Sacramento. Commissioner Lisa Greer joined CaWL’s scholars committee in year one to review applicants and provide guidance to selected recipients.
“Securing a fellowship in the State Capitol is highly competitive,” said then CaWL Board President Mona Pasquil Rogers. “However, the largest obstacle for many fellows is not the application process—it’s the related costs, such as housing and living expenses. The California Women Lead Scholarship will help support capable and talented young women as they pursue careers in policy and government.”
To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants were required to identify as a woman and be an active participant in a Capitol fellowship program. Scholarship recipients reflected the diverse identities and life experiences of all women who live and work in California. Scholarship recipients were also invited to a summit which took place at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento on September 23, 2022. The original twenty-nine awardees were honored and awardees received over $70,000 in scholarships.
In the second year of the program, 40 scholarship recipients received $100,000 at the Scholars Breakfast held on June 20, 2023!
Building the Next Generation of Women Leaders
Former CCSWG Commissioner Hannah-Beth Jackson famously once said said that “Women’s paychecks should reflect their true value and contributions…” While this is true, it is also just the starting place. Women’s positions and access to political power and influence must also reflect our capability and contributions.
The very concept of building a pipeline into public service is one that is designed to constrain and narrow our collective vision of how many women can and should, be in leadership roles at any one time. There is currently no shortage of young women who are qualified for public service roles. There are, however, plenty of barriers to their entry into the pool from which those who get to serve are chosen.
Ruth Bader Ginsberg famously said in answer to the question “When will there be enough women on the Supreme Court? – When there are 9” The same can be said for women working in state government, as staffers, legislators, and experts across the spectrum of service.
We must stop looking at women’s participation as a thing that happens one at a time.
We must stop asking women to wait their turn and wait in line.
We don’t need a pipeline of women to fish them out of the applicant pool one at a time…we need a net to bring them up by the hundreds.
This scholarship is but one tiny step of many that are needed, but the more we can collaborate to remove barriers to entry for young women seeking to enter the field, the better. We can’t expect that generations of keeping women out will end by scouring existing networks for one or two women at a time to let in the door. We need to change the structure of public service to become wholly equitable. Together with California Women Lead, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls seeks to create pathways, not pipelines, that are wide enough for many diverse women to travel at the same time, and to build open access to competitive processes that will allow women who are qualified but maybe not socially connected, a way in, a path forward, and a network of committed mentors invested in their success as the future leaders of our state.