The California State University system’s 23 universities stretch from Humboldt in the north to San Diego near the Mexican border. Dr. Yammilette Rodriguez, from the Common Ground congregation at Butler Church in Fresno, has visited them all. Rodriguez is four years into an eight-year appointment as a trustee for the CSU system, whose reach extends across the country. CSU graduates make up one in 20 Americans with a college degree. Rodriguez was able to slip in a quick conversation with Christian Leader just before a scheduled conference call with one of the university presidents.
How did you come to be a CSU trustee?
By the grace of God, my life’s journey has been pretty incredible. My first job right out of college was working for a state assembly member here in Fresno County. I also worked at Fresno Pacific University for several years, and for the past 16 years, I’ve worked uplifting and advocating for young people at the nonprofit Youth Leadership Institute. These have all come together to help me be a decision-maker for the CSU system. The governor appointed me in 2022.
What are some of your priorities as a trustee?
I want to ensure that all young people have full access to education. Being from a very rural community and a very traditional Latino family, this was my own story. It was a huge step for me to pursue a bachelor’s degree. If it wasn’t for Fresno State, I probably would not have gotten a bachelor’s degree myself. The CSU is so important to youth who lack financial resources. I chair the trustees’ government relations committee, which advocates in the state capitol and Washington, D.C., giving voice to these students and making sure that higher education is available to whoever wants to pursue it.
What do you find most satisfying in this role?
I love getting on the campuses and meeting the students, and then taking all their learnings and ideas and really process what it means to govern this system. The other thing that is just so rewarding is taking part in the graduations, putting on the regalia and marching in with these students, many of whom I have come to know, giving all the handshakes and hugs as they walk across the platform.
How does your personal background impact your decision-making?
It’s important for me to keep top of mind that many of our students are also children of immigrants. So many of them are being impacted by the political environment we are in and are immensely fearful. I have to make sure that I lead with integrity and compassion. I remember that I’m on the shoulders of my mom and dad and others who sacrificed so much, and now God has given me this role to fulfill.
Kathy Heinrichs Wiest is a freelance writer who loves the smell of whole wheat bread in the oven, the feel of an orange being plucked from the tree and the view from her front porch in Kingsburg, California. She and her husband, Steve, own Dovetail Remodeling. They have two grown daughters, one son-in-law and a precious granddaughter.
