Hispanic Heritage Month

Honoring Latina Leadership in Girl Scouts during Hispanic Heritage Month

September 15-October 15

Girl Scouts, San Diego-Imperial Council is proud to celebrate the diversity and culture of Hispanics, across the USA and beyond. During Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 – October 15, we honor Latina Girl Scout leaders who make a difference in our council and in their communities all year long.

Haidee Banuet – Troop Leader and National Delegate

Haidee, a troop leader since 2006, has been an active member in the Latino community for 35 years. She is involved in a Spanish-speaking group, “Padres Unidos,” which she organized in 1992. This organization provides workshops and meetings for school parents on topics like motivation, obesity and gang violence prevention. Haidee’s troop consists of 13 girls from fourth through seventh grades. All the girls are in their first year of Girl Scouting, and most are bilingual. Six of the parents are Spanish-speaking and had no knowledge of Girl Scouts before their girls joined. Haidee serves on the San Marcos Service Unit team as a “Comadre,” a liaison who provides support and assistance to girls and parents of Spanish-speaking troops.

Irene Barajas

Girl Scouting shapes girls into tomorrow’s leaders, and Irene Barajas of San Ysidro considers leadership development her top priority as a Girl Scout leader. She mentors a troop of 56 girls, from Daisy to Ambassador. Irene’s Troop 5912 celebrated the 95th anniversary of Girl Scouting in 2007 by completing 95 activities, and they led 350,000 Girl Scouts in the Pledge of Allegiance and Girl Scout Promise during a national Sing-along in Washington, D.C.  This is Irene’s second stint as a troop leader. Years ago, she started the first Girl Scout troop in San Ysidro. Many girls in her current troop are daughters of girls in that troop, and their moms are now co-leaders. Irene feels the girls appreciate every little challenge, every small activity. The many hours of planning and preparation, paperwork, telephone calls, site sales, trips to get patches and traveling on the trolley are all worth it to her. Troop 5912 represents our Council at events throughout San Diego County.

 

Marissa Dragoo

Marissa is an employment law litigation attorney at Garcia Calderon, LLP.  She is also the volunteer program director for the MANA Hermanitas® Youth Leadership Mentor Program. Hermanitas is a national initiative focused on encouraging middle and high school Latinas to stay in school and pursue high academic goals. Volunteer mentors help develop girls’ talent and skills through educational programs provided by the national Hermanita Summer Institute, local Hermanitas program, Girl Scouts Leadership Experience, community service and school-based initiatives. In partnership with Girl Scouts San Diego, the Hermanitas Program has matched approximately 75 girls with professional women who volunteer to mentor them for a minimum of one year.  In 2007, the San Diego Hermanitas developed the first-ever Cesar Chavez patch program. San Diego has the largest Hermanitas program in the nation.

 

 
Nydia Faddis

Nydia leads a Girl Scout troop of 31 girls ranging from Daisies to Juniors. She is also a U.S. Border Patrol Operation P.R.I.D.E. Agent. Operation P.R.I.D.E. assists educators, service organizations and other community groups by addressing significant topics that challenge today’s students. Topics include drugs, alcohol, tobacco, club drugs, inhalants, gang involvement and the importance of education. She has visited 33 middle schools, 147 elementary schools and 46 community events. Nydia and other P.R.I.D.E. agents have reached out to educate over 32,000 students. She served on horse and boat patrols, been a law instructor for Post Academy and taught Spanish to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). Nydia has four daughters—an 8-year-old and 9-year-old triplets—and a 14-month old son. Her children inspired her to join the Operation P.R.I.D.E. team. She recognizes the potential in every child and strives to make a difference in their lives.

 

Cynthia Juarez

Cynthia serves as Treasurer and Troop Organizer of the El Desierto Service Unit. She is an active member of MANA, a national Latina organization whose mission is to empower young Latinas through leadership development, community service and advocacy. Inspired by her two daughters, ages 6 and 8, Cynthia’s desire to promote the Girl Scout mission began in 2006 with a troop of five girls; now she manages the De Anza Magnet School Girl Scouts with 22 girls—Daisies, Brownies and Juniors. Cynthia says, “As mothers, we do the impossible to make our kids’ dreams come true.”  She appreciates all of the parents who volunteer to make this dream a reality for the girls and the community.

 

 

Lidia S. Martinez

Girl Scouts Nominating Committee Member Lidia Martinez is Southwest Airlines’ West Coast manager of corporate community affairs. She is responsible for promoting the company in the community—particularly the Hispanic community. She strives to be an active part of the Hispanic communities served by Southwest Airlines, and to really make a difference to these communities. Over the 19 years Lidia has been with Southwest Airlines she has held various positions initially in Dallas and Chicago. She has also received Southwest’s President’s Award. Lidia’s community involvement includes serving on numerous national and state boards. She serves as Board Chair of MANA National, Vice-Chair of the National Hispanic Media Coalition; a member of the California State University Foundation Board of Governors and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. She earned her B.A. in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing at the University of Texas in Arlington. Lidia has one daughter and one son.

 

Berenice Zamaro

Berenice Zamaro is a council board member and vice president and manager at Union Bank of California. She previously held positions as a branch manager at San Diego National Bank and loan consultant at Washington Mutual Bank. Berenice earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from San Diego State University. A 2004 graduate of LEAD San Diego, she has served on the San Diego County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Parents of University Students executive boards. Berenice is passionate about the Girl Scout mission and eager to reach more girls and volunteers in the South Bay.