Martina Virrey

Personal Biography:

Martina Virrey is a native of California's Central Valley. She was raised in Stockton, California where she and many of her family members currently reside. She left the region for several years to study at California State University, Monterey Bay where she earned a B.A. in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Human Communication.

Ms. Virrey chose CSUMB because of the university's emphasis on providing access to quality higher education for traditionally underserved and low-income populations. The university integrated cultural competence, multicultural perspectives, and service learning into all courses and majors resulting in a learning environment supportive of self-reflection and the exchange of ideas. While attending the university, Ms.Virrey participated in various community service projects such as Monterey County America Reads Program, where she helped second-grade students in Salinas improve their reading skills; Second Saturday Network, where she served as Tech Advisor for their quarterly newsletter distributed as a resource to African-American and mixed heritage families in Santa Cruz; The Big Sur Land Trust, where she served as a Jane McKay Fellow with the Outdoor Education Program teaching youth about environmental and land issues; and the CSU, Monterey Bay Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week, where she worked with fellow students and community leaders to coordinate a week-long event to bring the issues of homelessness and hunger to the attention of students, community members and policy makers. These experiences along with many others strengthened her commitment to affecting social change through grassroots efforts and community service.

In 2002, Ms. Virrey joined the staff of Great Valley Center, a private nonprofit whose mission is to "support activities and organizations that promote the economic, social, and environmental well-being of California's Great Central Valley." As Program Coordinator for the Central Valley Digital Network program, she works with AmeriCorps*VISTA members (National Volunteers) who give one year of their life to create sustainable community-centered programs that address the unique needs of Central Valley residents.

Ms. Virrey also works closely with local human service agency leaders throughout the 19-county Central Valley region to increase opportunities for underserved communities to access technology and training that can potentially improve their quality of life. As a member of two public policy-related committees, the California Teleconnect Fund Administrative Committee and the California Community Technology Policy Group Steering Committee, Ms. Virrey advocates for affordable access to information and telecommunications technology for rural and underserved communities. She believes the ZeroDivide Fellowship will provide further opportunities to affect positive social change.

Goals:

1. Broaden my understanding of public policy as it relates to the needs of underserved or marginalized communities;
2. Connect with other community leaders from throughout the state who are also committed to increasing opportunities through the use of technology; and
3. Bring back tools and information to share with my Central Valley colleagues working in the field of Community Technology and social justice.