Today we’d like to introduce you to Alethea Arguilez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Alethea. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I began my journey in early education when I was studying at SDSU in the Child and Family Development program in 1994. I was introduced to the local Head Start program and fell in love with the two-generation model of serving children and families. As I was finishing the undergrad program, I began working with the program and remained doing so for over 20 years.
Having this experience working with children and families directly inspired me to be more engaged in advocacy efforts and improving the broader systems of care that our families/children interact with. As a result of my experience, I was able to join the First 5 San Diego team as the Executive Director in 2017 and continue to lead this amazing work countywide.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Serving families and children is not an easy path – it is the kind of field that draws people who are passionate, driven and resourceful. Having a calling to serve our communities and support one of our most precious assets has always been my focus. Our field of early care and education is a younger field and has not always had the attention nor funding needed to support the early intervention and prevention work that First 5 San Diego engages in. We have learned a great deal about early childhood development over the last 25 years and about the importance of the early years and most importantly, the amazing brain science that tells us a child’s brain is 90% developed by the age of 5 years. Knowing this creates a sense of urgency for me and how we need to elevate this awareness so that everyone can understand why this is not just an issue for parents, but a matter of ensuring the viability of our nation’s economy. We want all children growing up to be healthy and contributing citizens in our society. Amidst the tremendous advancement and acknowledgment of the early years, there is still much work to be done to engage others in this very critical work.
Please tell us about First 5 San Diego.
First 5 San Diego has been a leader in the field of early care and education since 1998 and has been successful in funding innovative initiatives that support our children ages 0-5 years and pregnant women. We are known for being a funder primarily, but we are also emerging as a leader that works with like-minded community partners to continue improving the overall system of care for our region’s youngest children and their families. We specialize in early intervention and prevention efforts and are best known for our Healthy Development Services, Home Visiting and Quality Early Learning initiatives. We work with an amazing provider base that delivers the direct services countywide. I am most proud of our collective ability to reach families and children that would not have been served in other systems of care and being a convener among cross sectors advocating for our youngest children and families.
Who else deserves credit – have you had mentors, supporters, cheerleaders, advocates, clients or teammates that have played a big role in your success or the success of the business? If so –who are they and what role did they plan / how did they help.
The families that I had the privilege of working with in my early years helped me learn how to serve humbly and respectfully. Through my families I learned how we could advocate to improve the systems/policies that governed how we served our community. Looking back, it has been quite an amazing journey in having had this experience over the years. Certainly, there have been many mentors and supporters along the way that have also helped me grow and learn as a leader in this space. I am very grateful to them for having believed in me and supported me along the way. I would like to share that my family, husband Dion and children, Isabelle and Gabrielle, have been on this journey with me and also have been incredible supporters of the work I am blessed to lead.
Contact Info:
- Address: 9655 Granite Ridge Dr. #120
San Diego, CA 92123 - Website: https://first5sandiego.org/
- Phone: 1-888-534-7785
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