Julianna Kerrigan

The first organization I selected for my Life of Service benefit is Dancing in the Streets Arizona. This organization serves youth living in the south side of Tucson by providing enrichment through the arts and dance. Most of the children participating come from low-income, immigrant, underrepresented, underserved communities, which includes differently abled and at risk-youth. This dance studio does not turn anyone away. The studio is also BIPOC-owned, led by husband-and-wife team Soleste Lupu and Joseph Rodgers. The program has served over 3,000 students since its inception in 2008 and hosts an annual Nutcracker performance in December as well as a Spring production. I hope this contribution is able to help ​AZ Dancing In the Streets to continue to support and aid many of the underserved families who live in the Southside of Tucson that dream of enriching their children’s lives through dance and art education. They serve the community I grew up in and are ensuring children from all backgrounds and walks of life have the opportunity to participate in activities that were once limited to certain areas of the city or at costs that were simply out of reach for low-income families. Here’s to making more ballerina wishes come true.

The second organization is the Sunnyside Foundation, which supports the school district I grew up in. I was surprised to hear that there are student fees to participate in extracurricular activities such as the High School and Middle School athletic programs. I vividly remember the great impact that my extracurriculars had on my life and exposure to areas outside of my community. Many students do not have the funds to participate in the extracurriculars or to buy sports gear. My gift went toward the launch of student mini-grants so that students would not need to worry about this. This is only a small way I can give back to the community that gave me so much. I know firsthand how underserved our community continues to be and the needs and limited financial resources of the majority of families in the area.

As a Recruiting Manager and proud Latina at CZI, I have dedicated myself to championing and advocating for the recruitment of first generation, underrepresented and diverse candidates from a variety of backgrounds and lived experience.

As a Recruiting Manager and proud Latina at CZI, I have dedicated myself to championing and advocating for the recruitment of first generation, underrepresented and diverse candidates from a variety of backgrounds and lived experience. This passion is fueled by my unwavering commitment to empowering my culture and all voices that have been deserving of opportunity and elevation. As a product of my own community, I hold an unyielding belief in the potential of individuals whose unique stories, power, and perspectives enrich the fabric of our organization. Outside of CZI, I am an active member of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Advisory Fund and a Bill and Melinda Gates Millenium Ambassador where I help advise and mentor college students on the college admission process. I also serve as a reader and interviewer for the GMS scholarship program. I most recently participated in Love of Reading Week in my hometown by reading to K-5 children, as part of my ongoing commitment to giving back to the local community where I grew up.