Richfield's Emilia Gonzalez Avalos Earns Bush Fellowship

RICHFIELD, MN — Richfield resident Emilia Gonzalez Avalos is one of 24 people to earn the 2022 Bush Fellowship, the St. Paul-based Bush Foundation announced last week.

According to the Bush Foundation website, the fellowship is a grant that allows accomplished community leaders to "go deeper in transforming their own leadership and drive large-scale change to make our region better for everyone."

The fellowship is a flexible grant of up to $100,000 that goes to recipients in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or one of the 23 Native nations that share the same geography.

According to her profile on the Bush Foundation website, Gonzalez Avalos is the executive director of Navigate MN/Unidos MN, a Latinx-based organization that builds power for gender, racial and economic justice.

"(Gonzalez Avalos) grew the organization from a small networking program to a statewide powerhouse, opening doors for others to become recognized experts and organizers," the Bush Foundation said.

According to her profile, Gonzalez Avalos remains intent on closing economic, health and leadership gaps for Latinas in Minnesota, and she hopes to continue to amplify the voices of low-wage and undocumented people.

"(Gonzalez Avalos) seeks time to build the inner fortitude and tenacity required to lead even greater change across the region, as well as academic tools to develop models that improve the quality of life for Latinas," Gonzalez Avalos' profile states.

According to Hometown Source.com, Gonzalez Avalos' close friend, Richfield Mayor Maria Regan Gonzalez, is a previous winner of a Bush Fellowship, which she earned two years ago.

"Every year, the Fellows inspire us with their immense talent and even bigger ideas to make the region work better for everyone," said Damon Shoholm, grantmaking director for the Bush Foundation. "We're thankful for the chance to support their growth as leaders and their bold thinking to create large-scale change."