Photo via Town of West New York
BY: SARAH DECARO-RINCON, SUMMER COLLABORATOR AT POWER IN PLACE
On July 31st, I had the pleasure of photographing and interviewing Commissioner Margarita Guzman and her nominee Valerie Gomez. I have had the privilege of knowing Commissioner Guzman since I was a sophomore at High Tech High School. Along with being a commissioner for the town of West New York, NJ, Margarita Guzman is also a Spanish teacher that goes out of her way to support & help her students. Before interviewing Commissioner Guzman, I knew that she was a kind, intelligent, & moral person. Our interview not only strengthened those views, but also showed me how much she cares about her community and constituents.
Throughout the interview, Commissioner Guzman stressed the fact that being in politics is about serving your community, and doing what is best for your constituents. Ever since the beginning of the pandemic, Commissioner Guzman has helped to start a project that is feeding West New York, NJ. Commissioner Guzman, alongside others from the community, have been going door-to-door handing out bags of food to those in need. This is not the only way Ms. Guzman helps our community. Commissioner Guzman’s Special Place of Meaning was the park she helped rebuilt that has a gorgeous view of the New York Skyline. The park on 58th street and J.F.K. Boulevard East represents her first action as Commissioner of Parks and Recreation, and the New York Skyline, an open door for opportunities for all immigrants, including herself.
Every year on International Women’s Day, Commissioner Guzman hosts a luncheon to support and applaud the strong women in our community. She invites business women, police officers, politicians, and even her students to show them all that they are truly valued. Commissioner Guzman does all she can to encourage and inspire other women to be involved in their communities & to take positions of power and leadership. A great example of this is Commissioner Guzman’s nominee, Valerie Gomez, who does an amazing job at taking leadership in our community.
Valerie Gomez was born-and-raised in West New York, NJ and is a middle school math teacher in Brooklyn. The work that Valerie does for our community is noteworthy and inspiring. Ms. Gomez is the co-founder of Food for Us, an initiative/organization that gives food & resources to those in need all over Hudson County. One thing that Valerie emphasized was the importance of offering plant-based options, fresh fruits, & vegetables because they “believe in de-colonizing the diet. We realized that we have been fed a lot of the residue food that is just unhealthy for us. It’s what feed this cycle of heart problems, diabetes, all of these things we tend to see in communities of color.” The health of our community is at stake because of COVID-19, and Valerie is doing what she can to help our immune systems.
Both Commissioner Margarita Guzman & Valerie Gomez are two very intelligent, proud, strong women of color who are improving our community with their leadership. Every step that they take to better the lives of the people around them is another step in inspiring more young women to try and take charge. I want to thank them again for taking the time out of their days to help Power in Place to continue to spread the message of female empowerment.
Sarah DeCaro-Rincon is part of the Sarah Lawrence class of 2023 and her concentrations are Political Science and Pre-Law. Some of Sarah's passions are immigration reform and the rights of workers in the service industry (hotel, restaurant, etc.). Her favorite part about being a part of Power in Place is working with and hearing from strong, intelligent, inspiring women.