Stephanie Zuniga Honored at Women of Impact Ceremony
OTL Intern Stephanie Zuniga received the prestigious Women of Impact award on March 8, presented by Assemplymember Boerner. Stephanie earned this recognition by helping shape the NextGen Voices program, creating opportunities for teens and transition age youth to improve their well-being and build confidence, vocational skills, and career connections through the media arts. We’re proud to have nominated Stephanie and to see her remarkable contributions to youth development celebrated at the community level.
Assemblymember Tasha Boerner recognized 11 women from the 77th Assembly District in honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day.
“Women’s rights may be under attack, but these women have always persevered despite all the odds against them. They have inspired generations, given back to their communities, and provided services and assistance to those in need,” stated Assemblymember Boerner. “These women are trailblazers and will continue breaking glass ceilings. Thank you to all of our 2025 Women of Impact honorees.”
Along with Young Leader, Stephanie Zuniga, Assemblymember Boerner presented awards to the following individuals for her 2025 Women of Impact Ceremony:
Woman of the Year: Dr. Rebecca Rakow-Penner, MD, Ph.D. (La Jolla) – UC San Diego
Advocacy & Activism: Jennifer Phelps (La Jolla) – Youth4Climate;
Military: Crystal Hazelton (Solana Beach) – Coastal Specialty Physical Therapy;
Health & Human Services: Saundra Pelletier (Encinitas) – Evofem Biosciences;
Education: Katrina Waidelich (Carlsbad) – Carlsbad High School;
Community Service: Laura Chez (Pacific Beach) – We See You San Diego;
Civic Engagement: Sarah Brothers (San Diego) – Downtown San Diego Partnership;
Business & Entrepreneurship: Dr. Cynthia Burzell, Ph.D. (Encinitas) – Aequor Inc.;
Arts & Culture: Jessica Hanson York (Point Loma) – Mingei International Museum; and
Young Leader: Ciana Aurich (San Diego) – San Diego High School.