LATIN TIMES MAGAZINE - 2019 Summer Edition | Page 16

Latina Lideres Awards
Governmental Leadership
Senator Janet Cruz-Rifkin
2019 Latina Mover N Shaker
by: Jolie Gonzalez-Padilla
I am proud to represent my hometown in
the Florida Senate. As a Florida Senator, I
work for 500,000 Hillsborough County
residents, making sure their voices are heard
in Florida’s lawmaking process.
LTM: What part of Florida do you live in – are you
from Florida? If not – what brought you to Florida?
Senator Janet Cruz: I live in Tampa, Florida, where I
was born & raised. I am a 4th generation Ybor City
resident. My great-grandparents immigrated to
Tampa to work in the cigar factories.
LTM: Tell us about the biggest highlights of your career
Senator Janet Cruz: My election to the Florida Senate was decided
by 411 votes, 10 days after Election Day and a manual recount.
The campaign was aggressive. I faced personal attacks. That victory
means so much to me and is the highlight of my career because I
have always stayed true to myself and the voters saw that. I love my
hometown and feel truly blessed that my neighbors, friends, and
constituents promoted me to serve as their State Senator.
LTM: As a Latina leader in the community, business or other…what
has been your biggest challenge and how have you been able to
overcome it
Senator Janet Cruz: I am the daughter of a single mother who
worked in a factory and became a mom myself at the age of 16.
But I did not let those challenges define me. I finished high school,
graduated from college, and opened a business to provide for my
family. I did not let the challenges and hardships define my life, and
I worked hard to provide for my family so that we could prosper.
And now I am fortunate enough to fight for families who face their
own challenges and help my constituents prosper, as well.
LTM: How important is being a Latina to you
Senator Janet Cruz: As the first Hispanic Woman Minority Leader
in the Florida House of Representatives, I know the importance
of proper representation. In that capacity, I embraced my Latina
roots so that children of the next generation see what they can ac-
complish.
LTM: What is your favorite type of musica, and what is your favor-
ite song?
Senator Janet Cruz: When I was younger, I loved listening to Julio
Iglesias with my mom. She loved his music, and I have such fond
memories of listening to that at home with her. Currently, my fa-
vorite artists would be Carlos Santana & Jennifer Lopez.
LTM: IF you can go back to let’s say 18-21, what are some of the pivot-
al decisions that you have made that you would do differently
Senator Janet Cruz: I would have liked to pursue my dreams of high-
er education. As a teen mom, I was able to work hard to receive a
technical degree, which helped me provide for my family. But ideally,
I would have liked to continue my education and learning to earn a
Master’s Degree. A good education can change a person’s life in so
many ways.
LTM: Tell us about what kind of projects you currently have going on
Senator Janet Cruz: This summer I am raising money to install fil-
ters on school water fountains in Hillsborough County. I sponsored
a bill this Session that would have required these filters be installed
on all water fountains in schools built pre-1986 when schools were
built using lead pipes. There is no safe level of lead for children to be
drinking, and I am taking on this project to prove that this is a proj-
ect our state should invest in statewide.
LTM: What famous person do you most identify with and why
Senator Janet Cruz: I was fortunate to hear Maya Angelou speak
at President Clinton’s inauguration in 1993. I was completely in-
spired by her message of overcoming life’s trials and tribulations that
I wanted to read more of her work and learn more about her. Her
works used her personal story to describe many of our personal ex-
periences and matters that affect our country – oppression, poverty,
and discrimination. As an elected official, I strive to be open with
others about my life to help us all collectively become a better “we” –
a better community, state, and country.
LTM: What did I miss? Tell me something you want us to know!
Senator Janet Cruz: During the last election, I was very fortunate
to become connected with so many mothers in my district who are
deeply concerned about Florida’s public schools. Once I was sworn
into the Florida Senate, I was selected to serve on the Senate Com-
mittee on Education, so I was able to directly hear legislation that is
of the utmost importance to these families. There is so much work
left to be done, but a good education can transform a person's life.
Advocating for our public schools – for their safety, their teachers,
their desperately needed funding – is a constant priority of mine
and my colleagues know that I will continue to fight for the parents,
teachers, and students in Florida every day that I am serving as a
state senator.
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