In the midst of the most recent economic crisis, many recent college graduates struggled to find work. However, alumna Jennifer Lleras Van Der Haeghen ’08 landed her first job in a matter of weeks after graduating.
A Career in Social Justice Came Calling
In mid-July of 2008, Lleras Van Der Haeghen began her job at Oregon Students Association as a representative for students. Her responsibilities included coordinating statewide campaigns among 11 member campuses, and this work included voter registration drives, student lobbying at the state capital, and new campaign initiatives developed by students. Lleras Van Der Haeghen quickly moved into an organizing director position.
In 2011, she joined Basic Rights Oregon, a statewide nonprofit organization based in Portland that works toward equality for the LGBT community. Lleras Van Der Haeghen served as project coordinator to help Basic Rights Oregon generate public support to place the issue of marriage equality on the 2012 ballot. A partnership she developed for this initiative was with the Service Employees International Union.
As Lleras Van Der Haeghen grew in both confidence and skill in her work, she was ready for a change. She accepted a position as trainer and organizer with Western States Center, “an organization that works to connect and build the power of community organizations to challenge and transform individuals, organizations and systems to achieve racial, gender and economic justice,” she explained.
Because of the organization’s focus on a wide range of issues, Lleras Van Der Haeghen has been able to expand her outreach into areas such as gender and race equity. Western States Center strongly emphasizes the importance of building ties between groups, inspiring one of their largest programs entitled Uniting Communities. Led by Lleras Van Der Haeghen, she explained that this program works to diminish the distance between communities of people; it works with people of color based and led organizations to transform their policies and practices to fully support and embrace the LGBTQ members within their own community.
Reflecting on Finding her Chosen Career Path
Prior to finding her personal calling and passion for social justice, Lleras Van Der Haeghen spent time sorting through her interests at the University of Oregon. As a freshman, Lleras Van Der Haeghen was a biology major with plans to pursue medical school upon graduation. She also was involved with ASUO, MEChA, and the Holden Center for Leadership and Community Engagement. Her professional plans took a dramatic turn when a hall mate suggested something new.
“I was registering for classes when someone on my floor came to my room and told me about an Ethnic Studies class she was taking,” Lleras Van Der Haeghen recalled. “At the time, I had no idea what that even meant, but she convinced me to try it. I signed up for an African-American Literature class, and it turned out that I absolutely loved it: the professors were passionate about the subject; the class sizes were small and discussion-based to allow students to interact over the subject matter. I was hooked.” Lleras Van Der Haeghen continued, “For the first time, I was reading history for and by communities of color. It was an empowering experience to learn about the steps these communities have taken!”
Connecting the Classroom to Community
The Ethnic Studies classes she took taught her about community organizing, and this connected the classroom to work she wanted to do outside of the classroom. She learned how to work within her own community to organize around issues of mutual concern, and her engagement with campus organizations grew. Along the way, Lleras Van Der Haeghen found a community where she could make an impact. The people she learned with and worked alongside became her best friends and family. She found that this community also served to keep her on track toward graduation. As a first-generation college student, this community became her social support and helped her successfully navigate the college experience. It also provided leadership development and built her confidence, which laid the foundation for her success today.
A Commitment to One’s Self and Values
Last summer, Lleras Van Der Haeghen was promoted to R.A.C.E. Program Director at Western States Center. She also moved back to Eugene and married a fellow Duck on the campus where they met. Lleras Van Der Haeghen continues her work with Western States Center despite her relocation. She hopes to continue her current path while getting more involved with local organizations here in Eugene. The passions she discovered so many years ago still fuel her work today and drive her desire to make meaningful change. “It is important to live your values,” said Lleras Van Der Haeghen. “If you work to support something you love, in turn you will love what you do.” And that is exactly what she does.
Since this piece was written, Lleras Van Der Haeghen has taken a new position with the City of Eugene as the Human Rights and Equity Analyst. She will be working to advance equity and human rights for all people who live in Eugene by advancing the community's priorities.