Celebrating Women

By: Ashmar Mandou

In honor of Women’s History Month, we showcased women from all walks of life who exemplified strength, compassion, and the motivation to propel their community forward. This year, we were inspired by several women who work diligently for the betterment of their community and we hope their positive message inspires you to be bold.

State Representative Elizabeth “Lisa” Hernandez recognized firsthand the continual personal sacrifice one must make when holding a high-level position. In her fourth term as State Representative of the 24th District, Hernandez’s role has only intensified under the current political climate driving her to work tougher for the betterment of her community in the years to come. Hernandez’s motivation can be attributed to her upbringing, specifically the lessons she learned from her mother. “My mother taught me so many lessons. She was inspirational, she was a hard worker, she was compassionate, she taught me the importance of making sure my voice was heard,” said Hernandez in a recent interview with Lawndale Bilingual Newspaper in Springfield, IL. “My strength, my values come from my mother. She taught me that if you work hard you can accomplish anything.”

That is a lesson I love to share with the younger generation, especially to young women. You can accomplish anything so long as you stay motivated and put the work in.” Hernandez acquired a multitude of experiences working as a bilingual liaison in the education system in Cicero Public School District 99 and doing so a single mother at twenty-one. Through her experiences, Hernandez witnessed the injustices occurring her community, the lack of resources, and the corruption that inspired her to serve her community on a larger scale. “Becoming state representative didn’t happen overnight. It took several attempts and losses, but my motivation never wavered. I stayed focused in my goal because I knew I had the heart to fight for equal opportunities, to crack down on gang violence, to create jobs, and to build community partnerships,” said Hernandez. As legislator, Hernandez passed several measures to improve government transparency, increase child care assistance for low income families, protect victims of domestic violence, and pushed for school funding. When asked if she would run another term, Hernandez unequivocally replied, “yes.”

“I cannot leave my constituents now in this time that we are currently in, fighting to keep families together,” said Hernandez. “We are in a time where there is a lot of fear, but also we are in a time where people are voicing their concerns, holding protests, holding their elected officials accountable. I am so proud to see people coming together, more than ever. Their passion motivates me to continue to fight on their behalf, but I need them. I need their help. We need to continue to build this partnership. Together we can tackle these challenges.”