By Lacey G. Segars
AUSTIN, Texas — As a nonprofit organization, the success of Latinitas is determined greatly by our volunteers. This week we would like to highlight Stephanie Bazan as an outstanding volunteer!
Stephanie is the director of communications for signature events and programs at the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC). She has extensive experience in marketing and graphic design and has worked with many non-profit organizations including Latinitas.
Her skills in graphic design and marketing have been extremely valuable to the appearance and growth of the organization as a whole. Bazan has been volunteering with Latinitas for many years and plans to continue serving Hispanic girls in Austin through her work here.
“I imagine I’ll be volunteering for years to come,” Bazan said. “All the work that Latinitas does is so important and every girl that I come across just helps reinforce why I’m doing this.”
One of her favorite parts of volunteering is being able to see the reactions from the girls we serve. Whether through our after school clubs, code chica programs or weekend conferences, the growth and determination of our students is what keeps Bazan coming back to volunteer with us.
“It makes me feel really proud to be a part of this organization,” Bazan said. “Because I know those girls have gained inches in courage, strength, power, and they’re going to continue to have that energy and go out and be a force into the world.”
Another attribute of Latinitas that attracts Stephanie to volunteer her time with us, is the close knit atmosphere of our team. Latinitas is a family, and every volunteer, intern and staff member is treated as such.
“You just get pulled in and it’s just like a giant hug being part of the team,” Bazan said. “Everybody is really trying to lift each other up.”
In addition to volunteering at Latinitas, Bazan now serves on the Hispanic Impact Fund Steering Committee and volunteers for several local nonprofits. Stephanie has presented on many topics including social media, service and leadership. She has also participated in several education and nonprofit panels.
In her early career, Bazan was a marketing consultant and former director of marketing for LifeWorks – another Austin nonprofit. She has taught writing and design courses at St. Edward’s University and is the former president of the St. Edward’s Alumni Association.
“If you’re thinking about volunteering and you’re not sure if you have enough time, just start!” Bazan said.
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