Blog
Fuerza Latina: Isabella Vigil-Rodriguez
As part of our Fuerza Latina series, Latinas Represent is proud to showcase the powerful stories of Latinas who are making a difference in public service. These stories highlight the impactful work being done at all levels of public service by Latina leaders across the country. We believe storytelling is essential to inspiring action and fostering change. Each month, we’ll share a new story to amplify the voices of those shaping the future of our communities. It’s time to tell our stories and make our presence known.
Isabella Vigil-Rodriguez
Dra and Behavioral Health Coordinator, Hays County Health Department
Dr. Isabella (Izzy) Vigil-Rodriguez is the Behavioral Health Coordinator for the Hays County Health Department and a PhD graduate in Education and Community Leadership. Her work centers on advancing equity, culturally responsive care, and trauma-informed, community-centered behavioral health initiatives. In her role, she leads county-wide efforts focused on mental health promotion, suicide and overdose prevention, and strengthening access to care through cross-sector collaboration.
As a neurodivergent Chicana scholar-practitioner, Dr. Vigil brings both lived experience and professional expertise to work that bridges academic research, public service, and community empowerment. Her research background includes qualitative and quantitative methodologies, with a particular focus on narrative-based approaches such as testimonios, pláticas, and story work that amplify the voices of underserved and marginalized communities. She is deeply committed to building systems that center dignity, self-determination, healing, and collective care.
What inspired you to pursue a career in public service, and what has been the most rewarding part of your journey so far?
I was drawn to public service through a combination of lived experience and a deep desire to create systems that actually work for people. As a neurodivergent Chicana, I grew up navigating institutions that were often fragmented, hard to access, or not designed with dignity and belonging in mind. Those experiences shaped my commitment to equity, community voice, and collective care, and they ultimately led me to pursue work that bridges education, behavioral health, and community leadership.
My academic journey strengthened this calling by giving me the language, tools, and frameworks to name what I was seeing and feeling, especially around structural inequities and the power of storytelling, relationships, and place-based work. Public service allowed me to put those values into action in tangible ways, whether that meant convening coalitions, supporting community-led initiatives, or helping translate data and policy into meaningful change on the ground.
The most rewarding part of my journey so far was witnessing connection and momentum grow where there once felt like isolation or silos. Seeing community members, partners, and leaders come together around a shared purpose, and knowing that people felt heard, supported, and valued in those spaces, was deeply meaningful to me. It reminded me that public service was not just about programs or policies, but about trust, relationships, and showing up consistently for one another.
Where does your fuerza (strength) come from? As a Latina, are there specific cultural values, family influences, or personal experiences that have shaped your leadership approach?
My fuerza comes from my roots, my family, and the stories that were passed down to me long before I had language for leadership. One of the most formative lessons I carry with me is a story my paternal grandmother taught me when I was young, about the trenza, the braid. She shared that a single strand can break easily, but when three strands are woven together, they create something stronger, more resilient, and more beautiful. That lesson has stayed with me as both a cultural teaching and a leadership philosophy.
As a Latina, my leadership is deeply shaped by values of familismo, respeto, collective care, and perseverance. I was taught that strength does not come from standing alone, but from being connected to others, from honoring where you come from, and from carrying responsibility for the well-being of the community. The trenza reminds me that leadership is not about hierarchy, but about weaving together people, stories, knowledge, and lived experience.
Lastly, my personal experiences as a neurodivergent Chicana navigating educational, healthcare, and public systems have also shaped how I lead. They have taught me to listen deeply, to center dignity, and to create spaces where people feel seen and safe to bring their whole selves. My fuerza lives in that weaving: past and present, community and scholarship, care and action. It is the strength of connection, continuity, and collective resilience.
What advice would you give to another Latina who is considering a career in public service?
I would tell her that she already carries what she needs. Your lived experience, your cultural knowledge, and the way you move through the world are not barriers to public service; they are assets. Do not wait for permission to lead or for someone else to validate your voice. Your perspective matters, especially in spaces where decisions are being made about communities like ours. I would also encourage her to stay rooted in her values while learning how to navigate systems that are not built with us in mind. Public service can be challenging, and at times exhausting, but it is also deeply meaningful work. Find mentors and a community who remind you of your worth, hold you accountable with care, and walk alongside you when the work feels heavy.
Finally, I would say: “Lead in a way that feels true to who you are. Leadership does not have to look loud or performative to be powerful. It can look like listening, building trust, asking hard questions, and creating space for others to rise with you. Protect your joy, honor your boundaries, and remember that sustainable leadership is rooted in care for yourself and for the community you serve.”
How have you navigated and challenged systemic barriers that limit opportunities for Latinas in public service?
I have navigated systemic barriers by learning how to work both within and beyond the systems I am part of. Early in my journey, I realized that many public institutions were not designed with Latinas, neurodivergent people, or community-centered ways of knowing in mind. Rather than trying to assimilate fully, I focused on understanding how systems operate while staying rooted in my values and identity. I have also challenged barriers by centering community voice and lived experience in spaces that often prioritize credentials over stories. This has meant advocating for participatory approaches, coalition-based leadership, and trauma-informed practices, even when those ideas initially felt unfamiliar or uncomfortable to traditional structures. I have also learned to name inequities clearly, using both data and narrative to make visible what is often overlooked or dismissed.
Equally important has been building relationships and solidarity. I do not navigate these barriers alone. I lean into collective leadership, mentorship, and collaboration with other women of color and community partners. By creating and sustaining spaces where Latinas are seen as leaders, knowledge holders, and decision-makers, I work to shift not just individual opportunities, but the culture of public service itself.
Why do you believe it’s important to have Latinas in public service leadership roles, and how can we continue to support future leaders?
I believe it’s important to have Latinas in public service leadership because we carry perspectives that come directly from lived experience. Many of us understand what it feels like to navigate systems that are confusing, under-resourced, or not built with our communities in mind. When Latinas are at the table, decisions are more likely to reflect real needs, cultural context, and the everyday realities of the people those policies and programs impact.
Representation also matters because it opens doors. Seeing Latinas in leadership helps others believe that they belong in those spaces too. It sends a message that leadership does not have to look or sound one specific way to be effective. It can be relational, community-centered, and rooted in care.
To continue supporting future leaders, we need to invest in people, not just positions. That means mentorship that feels genuine, opportunities that are paid and accessible, and workplaces that value well-being as much as productivity. Most importantly, it means creating spaces where Latinas are trusted to lead as their full selves, not asked to shrink or conform. When we do that, everyone benefits.
Rapid Fire Questions
What’s your go-to song–one that hypes you up?
Baile Inolvidable by Bad Bunny
Favorite Podcast
Rotten Mango Podcast by Stephanie Soo
Favorite meal that reminds you of home?
Green chile enchiladas made with New Mexico green chile!