Chicas Latinas de Sacramento has existed in the Sacramento community for nine years, thanks to the hard work and dedication of many amazing individuals. To celebrate Sacramento’s leaders, and our behind-the-scenes (s)heroes, we’re thrilled to highlight and introduce to the community our shining star for the month of Abril/April!

Chicas Latinas’ Estrella del Mes: Abril/Star of the Month: April

Terry J. Ward, Board Co-Chair & Scholarship Committee Member 

Assistant Vice President/Senior Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch.

How long have you been a part of Chicas Latinas de Sacramento?

I’ve been an active member for about four years now.

What’s your favorite aspect of being a Chicas member?

Opportunities for tackling regional community challenges with a team effort.

What do you love about Sacramento?

I love the size and the diversity. The area is not too big, so as an organization we can have a large impact on local projects, yet there’s so much diversity in skill and thought here, that we can take advantage to build leadership and community.

What is one of your most fun or memorable experiences volunteering with Chicas?

I’ve had a lot of fun and memorable experiences while working with Chicas, but recently we went to Bishop Gallego Maternity Home. The program is sponsored by the church and it’s for moms with new babies. I love discovering new programs that I didn’t know existed as was the case with this program. We all met there, but I arrived straight from work with my nice suit still on. The other Chicas asked if I wanted to hold a baby and I jumped at the chance; of course, the little guy promptly threw up dinner leftovers all over my nice suit. I wiped it off and soldiered on. The Chicas handed out gift baskets to new moms that evening; we gave the moms a break for a bit and a good demonstration of unconditional love, which is sometimes hard to come by these days. This kind of grass roots activity can have a positive ripple effect in our community and I believe we all went to sleep that night better off for it (the moms, the babies, the Chicas group, the Church, and the community as well).

Why did you join Chicas?

It seemed like a strong group of emerging community leaders worthy of support. So far, the Chicas have lived up to their potential and continue to amaze me with their leadership, efforts, and community enthusiasm.

What has been your biggest challenge in life?

So far, it was to complete my education. I had to fund and complete my college education on my own with little guidance.

What are your interests and hobbies?

Running, traveling, and reading.

Name one fun fact about yourself:

I once won some ribbons/awards at the California State Fair for my hand made jewelry exhibit.

What favorite quote do you live by?

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Gandhi

Where is the best place you’ve traveled and why?

Morocco because it has a lot of ancient history; it was occupied by Romans, Moors, Carthaginians, and now Islamic culture, so there’s an incredible amount of different architecture, etc. And, people were so welcoming, interesting, and passionate.