Esperanza Ybarra was born in California and adopted as an infant into her family in Texas as the youngest of eight. After the untimely and unexpected death of the family’s patriarch, Esperanza and her siblings were raised by their single mother who was a Mexican immigrant and later became a naturalized U.S. citizen. Early on, Esperanza learned the importance of community involvement and activism, civic responsibility and engagement, and volunteerism through her mother’s role-modeling, values, and expectations. With this early influence, Esperanza pursued a professional path of community service by earning a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Organizational Management and working for various non-profits and state government, including over 20 years with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Inspired and guided by her mother’s spirit and strength as she was a person who endured and overcame great challenges and adversity, Esperanza raised two sons as a single mother who also live these values. The eldest son is serving our country in the Army, and the younger son will soon begin studies in chemical engineering to address global warming.