Join us in welcoming our new board chair, Luisa del Rosal. A business owner, entrepreneur, and public policy aficionado, Luisa brings a wealth of experience in advocacy, organizational strategy, and fundraising to Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region. Learn more about how Luisa is all in for North Texas kids with our Q&A:
How were you first introduced to CIS Dallas? What stood out to you about the organization?
“I was first introduced to Communities In Schools of the Dallas Region as a volunteer. I have always worked around education, but what I thought was really unique for CIS Dallas is that it focused on the seemingly little challenges that are actually tremendous challenges for the community we serve. And now with expansion into mental health services, it’s so clear we’re truly trying to support the whole student, not just a small part of them.”
Are there any volunteer opportunities that stick out to you?
“I had been with this young child who wasn’t eating [the meal that we have given them] and then he asked me for another one. I gave him another and said, ‘Is there something wrong with the other one?’ and he said, ‘Well, I just need to keep it for tomorrow for my family because we typically don’t eat on Sundays.’ And that really hit me like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ It’s one thing to think of poverty and food scarcity conceptually. But when you have a child in front of you that says something like that you think, ‘Wow, here I am, I am trying to teach you math. But how can you learn math if you are starving …”
What is your vision for the future of CIS Dallas as you move into the Chair position?
“I think definitely implementing the dollars that came through the 4S campaign and ensuring that we are always meeting our standards of care as it has been met up to this point. I think with growth comes growing pains, so we will need to figure out how we make sure we can grow as an organization but still maintain something that makes us unique, which is our plethora of ser-vices at the highest level. Number two, how do we ensure our staff are properly compensated and see this as a long-term career, not just a job. So that’s kind of my vision, to figure out how we ensure that we grow and serve to the highest quality but while we grow we don’t forget our most important asset, which is our staff.”
Anything memorable you want to share from your time with CIS Dallas?
“Again, it’s just seeing the students and seeing the impact. … [Community leaders] sit down sometimes and we think of problems as data and as like these complex problems to figure out… but when you actually focus in on a child’s story and you get to interact with these kids, it really brings everything home. That’s the moment you also understand that something that doesn’t seem like a challenge to us may be a tremendous challenge to them and that’s where CIS Dallas can fill that gap. … I would love people to know that we’re in the schools but we also have a system to support them outside of the schools, which is really impactful.”
