We’ve all felt the heavy isolation of the last few years. You’re doing everything right—managing your career, taking care of your family, pushing through the daily grind—but there is a lingering emptiness, a deep craving to just connect without it costing a fortune. The world has changed, and our need for genuine, face-to-face community validation is louder than ever.
In this special on-the-road episode, I sit down with my incredible co-host and friend, Monica Vallejo. As we gear up for a five-week tour hitting cities all across Texas, Monica opens up about her own journey. We dive into the reality of the “Superwoman Schema,” the unexpected pivots from motherhood back into personal ambition, and why stepping outside of traditional academic expectations might just be the smartest move you can make.
Today, you are going to learn exactly why “Third Spaces” are critical to your mental health and professional growth. We’ll also break down how accessible trade and community programs are flipping the script on Latina education, giving you the permission you need to finally prioritize your own dreams—no matter your age.
Share
Prioritize Community: Seek out and support accessible “Third Spaces” like local parks and community centers to combat isolation and build professional networks.
Redefine Your Timeline: Do not let societal timelines dictate your success; whether you are 25 or 53, you have the power to pivot your career and pursue new passions.
Tell Your Story: Your experiences—even the terrifying or unconventional ones—hold value; consider formats like podcasting or producing to share those narratives with the world.
A third space is a communal environment outside of your home or job, such as a community center, a park, or a local meetup. As inflation drives up the cost of traditional entertainment venues, people are heavily craving these free or low-cost spaces to rebuild genuine human connection and community following years of isolation.
Yes, non-traditional routes like trade schools and accessible community college programs offer rapid pathways to financial stability. Students can attend a trade program for 8 to 12 weeks, earn a certification, and immediately start making competitive wages, which can then be used to cash-flow future higher education without incurring massive debt.
Reinventing your career starts by embracing the idea that age is not a barrier to new ambitions. After dedicating decades to motherhood, women can leverage their acquired skills in community engagement, organization, and empathy to launch into new fields like nonprofit work, community outreach, or even film production and storytelling.
Anjelica: Hola amiga. Welcome to the Latina Leadership Podcast. A podcast by Latinas for all women. Get ready because today’s conversation is really special. Hola and welcome to another episode of Anhelica and Monica on the road. We’re taking Las Patronas and Latina Leadership Podcast on the road. We’re going to be hitting up your cities. cities such as Corpus, Brownsville, Harlingen, Macallen, Edinburg, let’s see, El Paso, El Paso, Odessa, Odessa, San Antonio, um, Amarillo, Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, Dallas.
Monica: I don’t know if that’s all of them, but that’s that’s the majority of them. Yeah, we’re going to be hitting up your city, and we hope you welcome us.
Anjelica: So, this is our first startup. It’s not really a stop. It’s kind of like a kickoff. Mhm. I’m going to come back when is Yes. At the beginning of May to uh kind of a celebratory like you know like off the road like destination celebration. So Houston today then Corpus, Brownsville, Harlingen, Edinburgh, Macallen, Laredo, Yuvaldi, San Antonio, El Paso, Odessa, Amarillo, Dallas, Austin, Houston. So, as you can tell, we’re going to be on the road for quite some time. I believe I’m guesstimating it’s going to be five weeks. I am excited. And then I’m also going to be, of course, Maryanne and Monica are going to be joining me throughout the entire drive, driving with me, flying back. I’ll be having company here and there. So, not going to be alone. So, with saying that, I do want to start off the conversation. Monica, I picked this. Okay. No, I think by this time you were married. I was going to say, do you remember kind of when people used to cruise this like park back in the day?
Monica: Oh, I’m sure. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Well, they used to call it um so Mason Park and they also did it down Richmond.
Anjelica: These these were the days where I was just up to no good. Like these were the days like when we would go I mean the entire blocks would be packed, right? So, both lanes and you were just cruising me meaning you would like literally go as slow as possible down these roads, right?
Monica: Okay. Well, literally me and my friends would jump in and out of cars uh based on um I mean cuz our friends were also they were like guys and they had low rider cars or they just had like soup not souped up I guess like uh performance cars. No, that’s not Yeah, they were like custom. They were like custom cars showing them off. Correct. They were custom cars. And so we would we would we would show them off here and or they would cuz I didn’t have a car.
Anjelica: I thought you got some juicy stories to tell. And you you know all kinds of stuff would happen here like fights. Um I don’t know. That’s all I can think about. No fights or people would drink, others would smoke, other But it’s nothing to be like, “Oh my god, we had such a great time.” I think that was like at the peak of my just of my terror. Your reign of terror. My reign of terror. I think that was the peak of my reign of terror was down here in Mason Park down 75th Street. Now you see all those signs that says you cannot turn on Sundays from this time to this time. It was because of people like us. Yeah. So yeah, which is why I wanted to kick it off here and which is why I wanted to start off here. And uh I don’t know. I wanted to be real with the conversation, Monica, cuz I’ve been in a I’ve been in a in a I’ve been in a funk.
Monica: No, I feel it. I mean, it’s it’s just everything going on, everything happening. Um, like you said, you know, back in the day, you know, y’all would hang out. I mean, people don’t do that anymore because of the internet and, you know, everybody’s kind of sucked into that, but I love that you’re doing this because you’re creating like connection, you know, community. Um, and I know I’ve seen it, you know, the posts that we’re putting online, like it’s they’re getting people are excited. They’re excited about it. So, okay, come out and talk. Yeah. No. Okay.
Anjelica: So, here’s what I do want to say is that you know why people are excited about things like this? It’s because they’re excited about Here, I’m just going to grab my microphone. They’re excited because it’s an opportunity to like come back to community to come back to a to a place where we can see each other. Yeah. Where we can where we can see each other. Um especially because of all that happened within the last six, seven years, eight years. Oh my god. I know a lot has happened including you know the panorama. I like that name. So third spaces is what I’m trying to say. Everybody likes that. Do you you know what a third space is, right? Okay. So third space means a third space means it’s a place outside of your home or job. Okay. So a third space. A third space. So a third space can be a community center, can be a fitness center, can be a park, can be whatever you can, it can be a a meetup, a get together to go ride bikes, to go those are third spaces. Everybody right now is craving these third spaces. Some of these third spaces have gotten pretty expensive to do, right? Cuz there are places like And we went there, like um Six Flags, Disney, all of that has a cost to be able to get in. Yeah. And it’s just going up and up and up. And right now, as of now, everybody is feeling the beat of the unemployment, the downgrades, the job losses, the fortunes. Yeah. gone, the house reduced to to um everybody’s feeling the losses of all of these things and everybody’s really wants to get together and there’s this conversation around should it cost money to be around each other? No. Do we have to go? I mean, good god, every time we you even step out of the U third spaces are wanted. they’re needed and it seems it’s getting expensive to now start to do these things in third spaces because the only time I get to see some people are or in places where I have to pay for it. Yeah. I don’t want to pay for it all the time. I mean I’m I’m fine with supporting. I’m fine with like but this is to like the average person. This isn’t to like me and you who like or like Maryanne also who we kind of like do the conferences, we do this, we do that. like we we pay to play.
Monica: No, they’re very much needed and and because they’re a lot of people can’t afford to, you know, go out and spend money. I think that’s why we’re seeing the excitement because they see you coming and they’re like, “Oh, I want to go.” I mean, everybody, you know, and yeah, I don’t think we should have to pay for stuff like that. So, yeah, meeting at a park or whatever spaces you find. Um, yeah, I’m excited. I think, you know, it’s very much needed in today’s time. So, and like today, you know, people are looking at us. They’re like, “What’s happening? What’s going on? What’s happening?” And it’s like, “Come in. It’s a community.” Yeah. Come in. Let’s talk. And um Yeah. So, I’m really excited that you’re doing this. Good. Good. I’m excited.
Anjelica: Also, I’m excited that you guys are going to join me on something like this down the path of this.
Monica: But, okay. Well, it reminds me of my old old days and like road tripping and going all over the place and yeah, I did a lot of that when I was young. So, yeah, I’m excited. You’re excited.
Anjelica: Well, I talk to me, Monica. Tell me what what else is happening? What else is going on in your life? Who do we got to go beat up? Or who who’s messing with you?
Monica: Nobody. Nobody. Nobody. I did um I did a really special thing today with Ace Law. We went uh to the the Hano Center and it was a Cinderella um special day. Um they got to pick prom they collected prom dresses and and they got to go there was like 35 senior girls and they got they made it a whole experience for them and they got to pick a dress and it was just it was so wonderful to see the smiles on their faces and then you know Maryanne is doing that as well. her Project Prom, her her little boutique is opening up. Um, and so she was like, “If there were any girls that didn’t find dresses, please, you know, send them my way.” Um, and so yeah, her thing is getting started and we’re excited for that. We help with that every year. Um, so yeah, just a lot of, you know, and and we do our scholarships about this time, so you know, we’re we’re um working on that. I just love seniors, you know, it’s it’s like it’s that time, you know, that they’re kind of they’re moving into a new chapter and it’s just they’re they’re just so sweet and you look at their faces and some of them are like, “Oh my gosh, like what’s happening?” Like cuz you do you kind of like you you don’t you’re not some people feel not ready for it. Um but you know, we can give them our experience and we can you know try and make them feel a little bit better about the situation. Like don’t be scared. it’s h it’s going to happen. So, you know, go and and there’s so many tools available, you know, for you to be successful. Um, but yeah, the Christina Project, we do scholarships and so I told them about that. Um, so just busy with that, you know, because again, the world is a little crazy right now. I I feel like it’s been ever ever ever since co I think we were all in CO going it can’t get worse than this and it just kept getting worse.
Anjelica: Little did you know little did I know that it could get really bad. No little do we all know that no it can get bad. I know. And then sometimes you know I feel bad cuz like we do we have a good time. We do a lot of things. We try and bring experiences to you and show you all the fun things to do with all this going on. And and one of my friends, Reno, Ronnie, she was like, “But we need to see that like you it can’t all be sad.” And and you know, we have to keep living our lives as best we can and and uh you know, bring joy when we can because you know, when you have to deal with all of the heaviness like it can be it can get to be too much. I know. And so I know that you were kind of like ready to kind of drive and go on the road. I’m ready to go, man. I’m so ready to hit the road. So I think this is going to be I know sometimes you just turn on the music and look at the open road and Oh, you know what, Monica? I don’t want to talk about what I’m doing here cuz people are going to hear me. I got five weeks to tell them what I’m doing. I You know me and you haven’t had a conversation. Just me and you. We haven’t done a podcast on Monica. Monica Gara Vjo. Oh my gosh. Actually, fun story. So, we’re not Garza was like um stolen. Yes, there was a falling out. I think I’m actually a Lopez, but there was a falling out and the child took the stepfather’s name. So, bloodline, I think I’m Lopez, but Garza. Garza. Garza was my my maiden name. Uh married name is Vjo. Gosh, going to be 30 years in November that she’s been married. Yeah. So, Monica, let’s start. I’m going to do this interview style. You ready? Okay. Monica, tell me a little bit about yourself. Who are you and what do you do?
Monica: I feel like I’m still a kid at heart. Some I feel like a kid. I’m 53 years old, ladies and gentlemen. None of your business. But I feel I still feel like a kid, you know, like I I’m still figuring it out. Um and I am still figuring it out. Um when I was in school um I w thought I was going to be an actress. I that was what I wanted to do and I was good at it. I was in plays. My parents always told me you need to be a lawyer cuz I was really good at arguing. But um I I loved performing and I did a lot of it in um in elementary school, middle school, high school. But that just didn’t, you know, I didn’t end up doing that. Um, and why? Why my name? It was my parents’ fault. Yes, of course. We all blame our parents, don’t we? No, they they were like, I wanted to go to California and they were like, well, you got to take out a loan. And I was like, I don’t want to do that. Um, I I I didn’t enjoy school, you know, the academics uh part of it. I just I didn’t that’s not how I learned. I I had to be hands-on.
Anjelica: What do you mean that’s not how you learned?
Monica: I didn’t I I struggled yourself. I struggled. I didn’t like I don’t like books and and worksheets and tests. I I I feel like I learned better um doing doing the task. So, when the acting thing didn’t work out, it was like, well, you have to you have to um make a living, you know. And so, I got a job. I moved out, you know, wanted I I had it all figured out. I wanted to, you know, live on my own. I was 19 and um, you know, it it was hard. It was hard. It was hard. But, you know, I just started working in different offices. I had many many jobs and I because I did not I really fought my parents on on going to school. They again told me how important it was. They were both bilingual. That’s very important. But growing up in the 70s, people if you know people frowned upon it like they would punish you if you spoke Spanish. And so my parents didn’t want that. I know. I know. It’s okay. I think it’s so pretty. Okay. Keep learning money. I’m listening. U so I just kept working. I just kept working different jobs and moving my way up. And then I met my husband. Okay. I was 20 about to turn 21. Um and we dated for about four years. And then um I did photography for a bit. Photography by Monica. I would do weddings and um you know any graduation pictures and and then I got pregnant and then it happened. I know. And then you know you start having kids and and um that wasn’t fun. I loved that. I was so good at I was so good at it.
Anjelica: You were good at what? Being a mom. I loved it that like that. Monica, how old are your kids?
Monica: So Anthony is 25. He was born in the year 2000. So all when all that Y2K like, “Oh my god, the world’s going to end.” I was like, “No, it’s not. I’m going to have I’m going to have a baby.” I was due in March. Um anyway, Gabby was born November of 97. So um I don’t know. I just I really took to motherhood. I I really enjoyed it. I was really good at it. And then you do that for 18 plus years and then and then they grateful kids and then they leave they leave the nest and then it’s like you’re like what do I do now? And I I work off and on during that time many different jobs. Um but we had started the Christina project in 2012 after we lost um our mom and I really took control of that like we we have a lot of different things that we do every year our annual events really proud of that work but then I met these wonderful ladies um Maryanne I got to work with at AMA doing that when I was community outreach and events that was a lot of fun I I kind of learned like I’m really good at this too like I really enjoy engaging with the community with people.
Anjelica: If I was bilingual, forget it. Forget it. I It’s over for you, [ __ ] I’d be like, I don’t know somewhere. I’d be somewhere.
Monica: But, you know, that’s something I want to It’s like try not to have regrets about stuff like that. Like, all all you can do is is where you are right now. And if you want to change, if you want to do something different, then you make that change. But like don’t sit in the in the regret of I didn’t do this, I didn’t do that. Like 53 to me, you might as well say like 25. Like I I I feel like I have, you know, a long time ahead of me. There’s anything I want to do, I can do it. You just have to do it. Um, but I do I get a lot of feedback on our videos and people are like, “It looks like so much fun. Like, y’all are having so much fun.” And I was like, “We are we are having fun.” Um, okay. Yeah.
Anjelica: So, I’m going to put some follow-up questions to to this. Um, when you talked about that you did not want to like higher education, you became a mom and now you’re doing all of these other things.
Monica: Do I say that’s I feel like that’s a like with the work that we do with them like uh Houston City College, what used to be Houston Community College, they make things so accessible. Like when we’re telling seniors about it, I’m like, “Oh my god, I would have done this.” Like, and then trade school, like I would have like I’ve seen some girls do it. like they go they go to trade school for 8 to 12 weeks, they get their certification, they start working, making really good money, and they can pay for any higher education that they want. So, you know, they’re not in debt. Like, there’s I see so many things that I didn’t see as a kid. Like I’m sure they were like you could have still figured something like that out, but even now it’s like the the things I see at Houston City College, it’s like it’s just so accessible and they’re like it they’re basically like there’s so many free programs. It’s just like and and and they’ve kind of moved with time and so there’s there’s like movie making, film making, there’s marketing, you know, there’s all these things that like Yes. back then it just yeah I I felt like I I I struggled to learn in in like school setting but if I’m sure a lot of that now is handson yeah um okay
Anjelica: so I do I uh so you know I and I appreciate that but what I’m trying to I guess where I’m I’m trying to ask the question Monica is you mentioned that like schooling was not for you right or it’s not something that you really wanted to pursue because you had other ideas and then you became a mom and all of that happened right? Kind of happens to us. Mhm. So, um what was it when when was it that you you realized that those kids aren’t going to stay little anymore that you’re going to have to figure something else out?
Monica: It happens so fast. And that’s why I tell like new moms or or my family or friends that have little kids, it’s like enjoy it. like squeeze them tight because it’s literally like you blink your eyes and and decades just yet they have to and when they’re gone it’s like it’s it is a deafening silence and so it happened by choice by choice right it happened for us during co that’s when they had both you know Anthony was in boot camp was in New York uh in culinary school and it was just like eerily quiet we were stuck at home I still had to I only worked from home for just about a month. But we were essential workers. I was entitled and they were like, “You have to come to work.” Um, but he, my husband works from home. He was, he learned to garden. He started during co. He was living this best life. He loved it. And I was just like, I was like bored to tears. I was like, “Oh my god.” Because no third space. No third space during that time. And I just I craved like to travel and do something else. But yeah, it got eerily quiet and and and um he was like, “Honey, we we don’t have anything to fight.” I was like, “Because there’s nothing to do. There’s nothing to fight about. Nothing to fight about.” Oh my gosh. But yeah, I just I But what I want to do is is um help people, which we do through our nonprofits, and I want to experience life, which we do.
Anjelica: So with you and Maryanne uh with Las Batrona’s Latina leadership like we’ve been able to have so many of those great experiences but yeah you’re always left craving more you know um but right now with this AI revolution like I see kids like kids that are really like picking up on it creating apps you know what do you what do you but what do you really want to do Monica because I I hear you all of I hear all of And I hear you really great advice cuz you’re you have really amazing advice. But but if if if Okay, how about this? If money wasn’t an issue and you woke up dayto day, what would what would you honestly in true honesty, what would you be doing?
Monica: Yeah, I I I really think I want to get into producing, telling stories. Um I wouldn’t mind acting in them, directing them. Producer, actor, director. Um I think because because you can really learn stuff uh by watching a film. I love films, you know. I love movies and films. Oh my god. You can be moved. No, she not. Cuz you can be moved in such a way by film and I love theater, you know. I did theater in high school. I loved it. Um I love making people feel emotion, you know. So, um I think I would do that plus just continuing. Sorry, I keep poking you. um continuing to help people. I enjoy doing that as well.
Anjelica: Um are we talking about writing, scripting? Are we talk about storyboarding? Are we talking documentary?
Monica: Well, I think I maybe not a documentary, but um you know what, Monica? It’s a really good thing you say that cuz you know what I’ve been wanting to do? Remember that story I told you about that girl, the one that um the one that went missing when I was in high school and I showed you the poster, the flyer? I’ve been wanting to do like like like a uh what do they call them right now? On a true crime. Yeah, the true crime. True crime podcast. Like we should we should do like a true crime like on what?
Anjelica: So I’ve heard the story on like kind of sometimes they solve the mysteries. I think it’s solved already. Okay. I I think we never heard anything from what happened to the girl. Yeah. And you know what I’m afraid of? That if I search her name that what if it’s not solved and they’re going to be like, “Oh, this is the person who visited this website and they’re you know what I mean? We got a hit. We got a hit.” Yes. Yes. Because I think that because I think that what if it’s not solved? Yeah. And I I’m I went to school with her. Yeah. And this is like a Okay. She was a 16-year-old girl who kind of just vanished. Her dad and her came from Mexico. Her dad did something. I I want to say he was a And you know what? This was when Juan was a reporter and so he did a bunch of interviews with her. Mhm. About it. Not with her. I’m sorry. With him. Yeah. With with him about like his daughter and it was like a whole thing. But I want to do like a true crime. Mhm. On like her story because I still have the flyer name. I don’t remember off the top of my head, but I still have the flyer. I still have the flyer because it was such an impact to me because I mean such an how [ __ ] dorky how such an impact to me.
Monica: No, but I mean it resonated with you. You still talk about it.
Anjelica: I don’t know if I can still I don’t know if it resonated with me. It’s just the proximity of her closeness to like me. Mhm. Cuz she took the same bus stop that I did. She did all the things that that we most of us did in that school. She was on her way to school when she disappeared. Yeah.
Monica: Well, I told you and you know back then there were no cameras. There were no cell towers. There was nothing you know to kind of find a footprint or you know what happened. But I told her this story. I I got into a car one one time. I I could be not here like what you know if I you know if the guy was you know my mom our car broke down. She said, “Walk home.” It was It was a good I probably two miles.
Anjelica: Did you get in the car?
Monica: I got in the car, Monica. So, I walked a [ __ ] She could see me. This was by Hobby Airport. Oh my gosh. She got in the car. She could see me. She saw me get in this car. But anyway, it started to rain. This guy pulls up next to me and I’m like, “I’m fine, sir. I’m fine.” And, you know, I’m like, he’s like, and he’s like, “I’m not going to, you know,” I go, “My mom’s right over there.” I was like, you know, why wouldn’t he just go back and pick her up? You know, it was my mom and her friend. So, my mom I I I finally I’m just like, okay, fine. I get in the car. My mom sees this from afar and I’m telling him, “Take me to the there’s like a grocery store um so I can call.” Like, there were no cell phones back in the day. He doesn’t want to take me there. He’s like, “No, I’ll just take you home.” Yeah. I the the minute I got in the car like all kinds of things were going off like all kinds of I know. And I’m like I’m like can I open this door but God was watching over me. He took me home but oh my gosh my mom probably didn’t talk to me for a week. You got in trouble. Oh my gosh. She was so mad at me. I think but I’m like why are you getting in strangers cars? Why is she making me walk in the rain? I know. I feel so bad because I know she was just like her her her heart was probably Yeah. But yeah, but that could have been a bad guy and Monica could be no more, you know. You know, but that’s what I’m saying though. Yes, completely. She went a podcast. She went missing and I always wanted to know what happened to her. Um cuz again, she was here alone with just her and her dad. Yeah. like everything with the Epstein files and just how women are how women are. We’re magical creatures, okay? We create life. We create life. And and I I just the society and the way women I I just just before we got here, I was looking at something. It was about a school board. A school board there was a student.
Anjelica: Where’d you see it?
Monica: It was on reals. Not Tik Tok, Angelica. [ __ ] you. But he there’s a student sitting next to a board member and he goes, “You’re hot.” Okay. And a parent had a problem with that. And he was like, “You know, he should be removed. He shouldn’t be talking to a student that way.” And then there’s a little they show a little clip where he kisses her at the meeting. Who the [ __ ] was It was so gross. And And so they’re fighting and so he’s the father is talking to the school board and he’s like, “Who has a problem with this? Raise your hand.” None of them raised their hand. And he’s like, “You all need to be removed.” I just hate how women are treated. Are treated. Girl, that’s something else. You know, that is not okay. And boys Yeah, boys are trafficked, but I mean, the majority girls are trafficked, you know, and and sw, you know, scooped up and kidnapped. And I just Yeah. But we do we should we should do a podcast. I’m all for it. Molested. Monica say there’s not traffic. They’re being harassed in the moment. Mhm. Traffic means or that’s kidnapping. Like if you remove them to a place to go somewhere else to do things to them, that’s kidnapping. That’s like Yeah. No, that’s assault. Like that’s a whole other thing. And we use the word treat it like the magical creatures that we use the term loosely to traffic being traffic like we’re going to be sold off. You don’t you know you don’t have to be sold off to be completely in a high risk like situation. We when we think traffic, we think something completely anyway. Jesus. Now you know we’re out here. Thank you. Thank you for coming here on the road. Yes. Thank you for coming and hanging out with me for a little bit. Um, thank you, Monica. We’re losing light. I know. But you guys follow for more. This is going to be an exciting tour. So excited. So proud of you. Thank you, Minds. Thank you, sweetheart. All right. Until next time. And with that, And with that, we’ll see you next time. Bye.
