Alumni Spotlight: Rebecca Rueda, Class of 2023

Rebecca Rueda is the project manager for the Early Learning Alliance (ELA). In this role, she manages the Alliance committees’ work, collaborating with partner organizations on special projects, managing social media, and planning special events to promote early childhood development and education in Tarrant County.

Rebecca’s motto is “Education is knowledge. Knowledge is power. Power is change.” Her passion for educational equity comes from her experience as a student whose first language was Spanish. “Because of my heart of language and my Mexican roots,” Rebecca shared, “I was prevented from a lot of educational opportunities. Teachers disenrolled me from advanced courses, counselors telling me that I am not college material, coaches not giving me the opportunity to play sports, and many other things that I encountered in my education journey.”

Having experienced the inequities in our education system firsthand, Rebecca works hard to help ensure all kids receive the opportunities they deserve. Through her work with ELA, she has found a platform to voice her opinions, thoughts, and possible solutions to ensure that all young children are ready for Kindergarten. She also serves on a variety of committees and boards, including Help Me Grow North Texas's Family Engagement Sub-Committee, the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children’s Fort Worth Chapter board, and the Health Equity Alliance (HEAL) of Tarrant County’s board. Additionally, Rebecca is a proud member of the Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas (HWNT) - Fort Worth Chapter and is a HWNT state board committee member. In spring 2023, she was recognized by HWNT Fort Worth Chapter for “Excellence in Mentorship” for her work mentoring young Latina girls to pursue post-secondary education by sharing personal advice on how to get through high school and college with limited resources.

Of her Civic Voices experience, Rebecca shared, “I enjoyed learning about the school board governance, its role and its power…Through the fellowship, I developed advocacy skills and resources to empower others to vote and be engaged in children's education.”

In her free time, Rebecca enjoys spending time with her family, especially her nieces and nephews, and traveling throughout the U.S. and around the world. One of her goals is to visit all 50 states.