The widely circulated images of a heated standoff between armed federal agents and a large crowd of community and public officials outside a Carpinteria cannabis farm 10 months ago have become a powerful local symbol of what can happen when people show up to stand collectively behind their beliefs, their neighbors, and the values they feel define their community.
It takes strong, loud, and vigilant voices to drive action and create lasting change.
Four Central Coast women have emerged as powerful forces in that movement—and their conviction and dedication are being collectively recognized.
Teresa Alvarez, Julissa Peña, Primitiva Hernandez, and Viviana Marsano represent central coast agencies that have made it their mission to break down barriers and serve as the mouthpiece for advancing equity and justice by providing services and programs for primarily marginalized communities.
Who better to salute their voices than the more than 75 women who make up Santa Barbara’s Association of Women for Communications (AWC-SB), an organization comprised of communications professionals in the areas of journalism, public relations, corporate communications, broadcast, photography, and non-profit sectors, to name a few.
AWC-SB marked its 18th annual Women of Achievement Awards on May 7 at Santa Barbara’s Cabrillo Pavilion with a strong and bold theme: Celebrating Powerful Voices, Purposeful Change-Women Leading Through Civic Engagement.
While past Women of Achievement honorees have included activists, civic leaders, and advocates, 2026 appears to mark the first year the entire class of honorees has been collectively centered around equity, advocacy, and civic engagement. At a time when equity initiatives and immigration issues can be politically polarizing, AWC-SB President Ana Papakhian says this year’s theme is not a political statement, but an opportunity to recognize women creating meaningful impact within their communities.
With more than 100 guests in attendance, the four honorees participated in a panel discussion moderated by News Channel 3-12 anchor Tracy Lehr, reflecting on their personal experiences and the human impact behind their work.
As the Executive Director of the Immigrant Legal Defense Center (ILDC), Julissa Peña sees a lot of fear and uncertainty in the clients she serves, which she says stems from uncertainty and misinformation.
“A big part of our work is merely helping people understand their rights and what their options are.”
-Julissa Peña
With information continuously evolving, Peña says information is most powerful when it comes from “trusted relationships,” which is why she says ILDC invests heavily in conducting “Know Your Rights” workshops—a way to educate immigrants and community advocates about their rights and constitutional protections. The ILDC staff includes five attorneys and three paralegals who help provide pro bono legal services to indigent immigrants who would otherwise not receive government-appointed counsel.
Peña shared the story of a recent legal win her team celebrated in immigration court involving a 21-year-old man who fled torture in Peru due to his sexual orientation. He was granted legal protection in the United States with the condition that he maintain regular ICE check-ins. “That changed with the Trump administration, Peña said. “When he checked in, he was apprehended.” The young man, Peña said, was held in mandatory detention for nearly a year and pressured to sign self-deportation documents. After refusing to return to Peru out of fear for his safety, Peña said ICE officials told him he would be deported to Africa. Peña and the ILDC team took the case to federal court and won.
Primitiva Hernández, who immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. as a child, serves as 805 UndocuFund’s Executive Director, the same organization that supported her family during challenging times. Hernández spoke candidly about the growing distrust and fear many immigrant families are experiencing, particularly around public safety and seeking help during moments of crisis.
“Calling the police right now, unfortunately, is not safe.” “Only the people will save the people. It’s going to require everyone.”
-Primitiva Hernández
Originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, Teresa Alvarez, who moved to California as a child, has served as the Executive Director of the Carpinteria Children’s Project (CCP) for five years, where she advocates for early childhood education, and she and her team of staff and volunteers provide comprehensive resources for low-wage working families.
The work can sometimes be mentally and emotionally challenging for Alvarez, who was brought to tears when recalling the case of a Carpinteria husband and father who was forcefully removed from his place of employment and taken into federal custody. With the aid of the 805 Rapid Response Network, a coalition of community volunteers who respond to immigration-related activities, Alvarez and her team were able to step in and provide financial support to the family while the husband, the primary provider, was held in detention.
CCP support also included mental health care when the family’s oldest child began exhibiting signs of anxiety. “For the kids, the trauma they experience not just in the moment but for years after is going to be very difficult,” Alvarez pointed out. In time, the father was reunited with his family; however, being barred from returning to work means his fight is still not over.
“We are still supporting the family,” says Alvarez, who says her sense of hope comes from seeing the hope her clients have for the betterment of their children’s lives and their own lives.
“Kids are not going to be able to sit and learn if their families are going through all of these traumatic events, and we want to support the whole family so they can support their child.”
-Teresa Alvarez
The fourth honoree, Argentina-born Viviana Marsano, who is the Assistant Dean of Civic and Community Engagement at UCSB, says the most powerful thing people can do to make a difference is to speak up and be heard. “It’s important to use your voice, even if you are not one of the members of the affected communities,” she said.
“I’m a very firm believer that it’s important to be engaged at the local level. When you get engaged at the local level, you have more tangible results of your work, and you see if things are working or not.”
-Viviana Marsano
In her work supporting and advocating for civic, social, and educational initiatives, Marsano preaches the importance of hands-on engagement. “Join a food distribution, go to city council and [do] a public comment, go to a school board and actually fight for the rights of your children.”
At the close of the awards ceremony, Hernandez thanked the AWC-SB Board for highlighting advocacy work she said can often carry risks due to the politically polarizing nature of immigration issues, noting that women on the frontlines of justice and equity efforts frequently become targets themselves.
“I want to thank the board for recognizing myself and these courageous women.” “That in itself is sending a very strong message, that voices matter, that we deserve to be in these spots because of who we represent.”
-Primitiva Hernández
The Association for Women in Communications-Santa Barbara is an organization dedicated to advancing and supporting communications professionals on the Central Coast. AWC-SB holds monthly meetings for networking and professional advancement. The Women of Achievement Awards is the organization’s annual signature event.
To learn more about the organization, attend an event, or become a member, visit: awcsb.org