Our MISSION
Founded in 2018, The Her Vaga Bound Roots is a 501(c)3 non profit organization that supports and empowers women of color to unapologetically achieve their personal and professional goals and bring light to untold narratives
OBJECTIVES AND GOALS:
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Building a community for WOC through a virtual platform
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Providing access to mentors and other academic and professional resources
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Advocating for professional and personal success and development
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Increasing access to higher education
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Granting merit based scholarship(s) through the Vagas with Degrees Scholarship Foundation
Whats does HER VAGA BOUND ROOTS MEAN?
HER: Representative of every woman
VAGA: fearless, strong and resilient
BOUND: to greatness
ROOTS: to remain grounded
meet the team
*Learn more about the founders personal journey and motivation to founding Her Vaga Bound Roots here or read her Voyage LA interview here!
Wendoline Vargas, LMSW
Founder & President
Founder and Board Chair of Her Vaga Bound Roots. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she earned her undergraduate degree at University of California, Santa Barbara and a masters in Social Work from New York University. A fierce advocate for social justice and thriving passion for working with women, young adults, and marginalized communities. She is a licensed bilingual social work clinician with a focus in collaborative & integrative behavioral mental health; currently working as a Wellness Center Counselor at a diverse and Hispanic serving academic institution, providing evidence based psychotherapy to students, while helping them navigate college to ensure they reach academic success.
In 2018 she established Her Vaga Bound Roots nonprofit, to help in the advancement and representation of women of color in higher education and professional settings. The organization supports and empowers women of color to unapologetically achieve their personal and professional goals and bring light to untold narratives.
The nonprofit also houses The Vagas With Degrees Scholarship Foundation which aides in increasing women’s access to higher education and achieving academic success by awarding merit based financial scholarship(s) to a VAGA in need every year.
Jennifer Guzman
Secretary
Jennifer Guzman is executive assistant at The Adelante Movement, a platform that empowers and trains Latinas economically and entrepreneurially through a digital community and workshops all over the country.
“I am passionate about women’s issues, specifically multicultural women’s issues. There isn’t enough representation. Her Vaga Bound Roots can make a positive impact on the lives of these women. It’s SO important to highlight those that are on that path to success while simultaneously motivating and inspiring one another, so that young women have role models to look up to.”
Jennifer would like to see more women of color pursuing higher education so they can obtain high level jobs, or start their own businesses in the future. She'd love for Her Vaga Bound Roots to be able to grant many of those women the financial ability to do so, and hold an annual sponsored event where Vagas come together to network, mentor and share experiences.
Edwin Serrano
Treasurer
Edwin currently works as a Senior Resident Director at the University of California, Berkeley. He has over five years of working in higher education supporting first-generation, undocumented, international, women, queer, trans*, and students of color.
Her Vaga Bound Roots represents the dreams and aspirations every older brother has for his sisters. He strives to use his education, professional network, and privileges to better serve women of color.
Edwin would like to see this movement of educated + professional women of color reach even the most rural parts of the U.S. He also hopes to one day see a *Champions Dinner* for scholarship recipients of The Her Vaga Bound Roots non-profit organization, in order to give more women the opportunity to reach their highest potential.