Rosa Baez, CPM, LCPAA, LCCA

I really attribute my success to my family because they’ve always been my greatest support system. My husband was my rock through every stage of it all. We’ve been together for over 30 years, and when I was working as an investigator while also trying to finish my degree, it truly became a family effort. That job took a lot out of me emotionally and mentally, but we made it work together.

If I couldn’t make dinner, he stepped in and made dinner. If I couldn’t pick up the kids from school, he handled it. And when I got home, I still made sure we sat down as a family, did homework with the kids, and took care of everything we needed to at home. Once the kids went to sleep, that’s when my school day started. Some classes were online, some were on campus, so I would stay up late doing assignments and studying after everyone else was asleep.

Looking back now, I honestly don’t even know how I did it. I think I was young, driven, and determined in a way that only life experience can really explain. I definitely couldn’t do it the same way today. But what carried me through was having a strong family support system and this deep drive inside me that kept telling me there was more I needed to accomplish.

I came to this country at 16 years old and didn’t speak English. I had to start over completely. While other 16-year-olds were going through a normal high school experience, I was trying to figure out how to rebuild my life from scratch. The very first step was learning English, and from there I knew I couldn’t stop pushing forward.

Even after getting married and having two children, even when life naturally caused me to pause for a while, I knew I had to continue growing. I didn’t want to remain in the same place forever. I think all of those experiences together, the struggles, sacrifices, support, resilience, and determination, became the combination that shaped who I am today and allowed me to do the work I’m doing now.

The most impactful guidance I ever received really wasn’t traditional career advice. It came from a teacher I had when I first arrived in the United States as a teenager without speaking English. At that time, I was attending school mainly to learn the language, and the teacher I had there made such a lasting impact on me.

I’ll never forget how she ran her classroom. She turned it into what felt like a courtroom. We all had different roles, sometimes the prosecutor, sometimes other parts, and we had to participate, speak up, and think critically. Looking back now, I honestly think that experience helped shape my passion for children, advocacy, and the work I do today.

What stood out most was the way she empowered us. She treated every student with respect and made us feel capable, even though many of us were just trying to navigate a new country and a new language. She constantly encouraged me to continue my education and keep pushing forward.

I always looked up to her. Believe it or not, I never saw her again after that time in my life, but her influence stayed with me. At a moment when I was newly arrived in this country and trying to find my place, she gave me confidence, challenged me to believe in myself, and created an environment where we all felt empowered to take ownership of our learning. That experience made a tremendous impact on me and is something I’ve carried with me throughout my career and leadership journey.

I always encourage young women entering this field to lead with passion and remain connected to the reason they chose this work in the first place. This industry can be challenging, and there will be moments that test you, but staying grounded in purpose helps guide your decisions and keeps you focused on the impact you want to make.

I also encourage them to trust their voice and not underestimate the value they bring into every room they walk into. Too often, we question whether they belong at the table, especially in leadership spaces, but I’ve learned that our experiences, perspectives, and resilience are powerful assets.

Embrace the challenges, continue learning, and don’t be afraid to take up space. When passion is combined with intention, integrity, and hard work, you can build a career that not only succeeds professionally, but truly changes lives and leaves a lasting impact on the communities you serve.

There are definitely a lot of challenges, especially in the nonprofit world. Every day brings something new, whether it’s related to funding, staffing, compliance, community needs, or simply trying to stretch limited resources to meet growing demands. The reality is that this work requires you to be creative and adaptable constantly, not only in how you serve families and communities, but also in how you sustain and grow the work itself.

At times, it can feel difficult just to keep moving forward because the needs continue to increase, especially among vulnerable children, families, and individuals facing crisis situations. But I also believe the challenges are what create the opportunities. They push us to think differently, innovate, collaborate, and find new ways to continue serving those who depend on us.

With our footprint growing across the country, we see firsthand the magnitude of the need in so many communities. At the same time, that visibility gives us the motivation to keep fighting every day to expand services, strengthen partnerships, and create meaningful impact. I truly believe there is tremendous opportunity in this space through innovation, strategic collaboration, and community-driven solutions that allow us to continue building stronger, safer futures for the people we serve.

Family has always been at the center of everything I do and serves as the foundation for both my personal life and my leadership style. So much of who I am was shaped by my experiences, my journey, and the people who stood beside me through every challenge and milestone. Because of that, I lead with integrity, honesty, and compassion in every decision I make and in the way I connect with others.

Resilience has also played a major role in my life. There were many moments that required perseverance, sacrifice, and the ability to keep moving forward even when things felt uncertain. That determination continues to drive me today, along with a deep sense of purpose and responsibility to make a meaningful impact in the lives of others.

One of the things that was always most important to me was making sure my children understood that they could accomplish anything they set their minds to, regardless of where they started or the path they had to take to get there. I wanted them to see firsthand that success doesn’t look the same for everyone and that there is no one “right” way to achieve your goals.

I’ve never been someone who is motivated by titles alone. I understand that leadership positions come with significant responsibility and that people naturally look to you for guidance and direction, but to me, the most important part of leadership is how you make people feel while you’re in that role. It’s about how you support others, empower them, and create environments where people feel valued, respected, and capable of growing.

At the end of the day, those values, family, integrity, compassion, resilience, humility, and purpose, are what shape how I live, how I lead, and how I serve others every single day.