By admin 
The Sacramento Bee and Nehemiah Leaders Programs are celebrating this year’s 60 Change Makers. Join them at our gala at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at the Grand Sheraton in downtown Sacramento. Buy tickets at sacramentochangemakers.com.
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Monica Jimenez was always encouraged to be involved in her community. She was raised by a single mother in south Sacramento alongside three siblings. It wasn’t long after she graduated from UC San Diego that she knew she wanted to go to law school.
“I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do, but, you know, my thought process is always to use whatever skill set I have to, you know, help the community,” Jimenez said.
Now, she does just that. After attending McGeorge School of Law, she first worked as a representative for foster kids before becoming a relocation lawyer developing affordable housing for migrant agricultural workers.
Now, working for the California State Treasurer’s Office, Jimenez works with organizations including CalSavers, to help workers save for retirement; CalABLE, to help people with disabilities with financial planning; and CalKIDS, to award college scholarships to California children. She also sits on the board of the Cruz Reynosa Bar Association, which supports Latino attorneys and judges.
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“I’m very mission-driven,” said Jimenez, remembering the effect of her work in housing. “They would get teary-eyed, like, because they had never had their own space, or a safe space to come home to.”
Her work is also closely tied to her personal life. After her son was diagnosed with Xia-Gibbs syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental disorder, Jimenez began championing causes in the community specific to special needs individuals. When her son’s school, which provides support for special needs students, was contemplating ending its services for younger children, Jimenez successfully advocated for the school to stay open to younger children.
Jimenez remains grateful for the opportunities she has had to work with so many people.
“I really value having grown up here and, like, been exposed to so many different kinds of people, the level of diversity,” she said. “I feel very blessed to have reached where I’m at.”
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