Two Turlockers were honored by the Stanislaus County Commission for Women for their contributions in positively impacting the community.
Turlock High senior Jasmine Cisneros and Modesto Junior College student Morgan Haydock were two of six recently named Outstanding Young Women of Stanislaus County.
This year’s focus of the annual Outstanding Women of Stanislaus County awards was on young women who have demonstrated exceptional involvement in activities focused on a concern for women in the community.
Outstanding Young Women were nominated for demonstrating leadership, being involved in extracurricular activities that positively impact girls and women, overcoming hardship to inspire others and possessing unique qualities that make them exceptional.
According to the Stanislaus County Commission for Women Board of Directors, the awardees represent a diverse group of young women who are advocating for youth empowerment, reproductive rights, access to health care and action on climate policy. They have raised funds for local nonprofits, started new clubs to mentor young girls and mobilized students to clean up our rivers.
Cisneros is president of the Progressive Students Club, vice president of Interact, and reported for the Health Occupation Students of America about social inequities in healthcare. She believes that women experience barriers to receiving proper healthcare, education, nutrition, career, and financial opportunities, often having to balance a career and parenting, and that society needs to work together to solve these issues.
Cisneros plans to attend a University of California campus and major in chemistry, then go to medical school to become an OBGYN, and believes it is important to increase the number of Latinas with graduate degrees.
“I feel like women shouldn’t be afraid to put themselves out there,” said Cisneros. “We could really change the world and it starts with our communities. We need to make it so that there are no barriers to stop us.”
Haydock plans to transfer to UC Davis after MJC. She worked with the Valley Improvement Project and Modesto Peace Life Center to start Climate Justice Action Now, which involves junior high and elementary school youth in combating climate change. She volunteered for the Stanislaus Sustainable Communities Coalition to contribute to rewriting Modesto’s general plan. Haydock also volunteered with the Josh Harder campaign. She works as an intern at MJC’s Great Valley Museum.
Haydock is concerned about threats to women’s reproductive rights. She also notes that women are still underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) professions and thinks it is important that women have the support and access they need to thrive in scientific careers.
Her ultimate educational goal is to earn a PhD in cellular biology and work in the field of scientific research and public understanding of the world we live in, such as at a museum, focusing on making scientific knowledge accessible to the public.
The other awardees are from Modesto and include: Rana Banankhah, Divya Katyal, Madeline Van Diepen and Makiela Wilson.
