Nicki Velasquez: Leading Advocacy for Students and Families in Cochise County

Latinas Leading Change in Rural Arizona

Across rural Arizona, Hispanic women are stepping into leadership, uplifting their communities, and challenging the status quo. They are showing what it looks like to speak up, organize, and create change where it matters most.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re celebrating those women, and one of them is Nicki Velasquez, who lives in Hereford, Arizona, in Cochise County.

Nicki Velasquez

Nicki is a proud mom of five, a mental health case manager, and now a candidate for the Palominas School District school board. Her story is about what happens when everyday people decide enough is enough and choose to speak up for their children and their community.

Since settling in Hereford, Arizona, seven years ago, Nicki has seen challenges facing students and families that pushed her to act. Restrictions on kids’ activities, limited opportunities, and stories of unfair treatment began to surface in her own home and from her children’s friends. “When I saw my children becoming more depressed because they couldn’t play outside, or when I heard their friends sharing stories of being treated unfairly, I knew I couldn’t just stay quiet,” she says.

Her fight became personal when her son faced repeated bullying at school. Other students of color shared similar stories with her, which raised questions for Nicki about why these situations kept happening. She took action for her own (son or daughter), as well as other students facing similar challenges. She has been actively working to team up with parents who are also looking to stand up for the children of their schools.

One Puerto Rican mother shared she had felt intimidated to confront school officials, but felt empowered with Nicki by her side. For Nicki, that moment solidified her role as not just an advocate for students and their education, but also felt a deep sense of responsibility as a community leader.

Now Nicki is running for the Palominas School District’s school board to step up to do right by all the students in the county. After seeing schools move to a four-day week, classrooms with outdated textbooks, and parents struggling to pay for sports or after-school programs. “Something needs to change,” she explains. “And in order to change, it has to be here at the local level, in the community.”

Her campaign, Nicki for the Kids 2026, is centered on students. She is pushing for stronger special education services, updated curriculum, higher teacher pay, and free before and after-school programs so kids have the support they need to succeed.

Some people tell her that winning will be difficult in her area. Instead of discouraging her, that motivates her even more. “If we work together, then we can make bigger and better decisions that are more streamlined to fit our community.”

Nicki Velasquez

For Nicki, Hispanic Heritage Month is about more than reflection. It is about action on the issues closest to home. “We do need Latinas in office,” she says. “People like me, people who understand what our kids are facing.”

When asked what advice she would give to other Hispanic women in rural Arizona who may feel hesitant to raise their voices, Nicki’s response is clear. “Don’t even think about it. Just do it,” Nicki says. “When something upsets you or your child, let it empower you. Let it motivate you. Speak up in that moment. Don’t let it pass.”

Nicki Velasquez proves that leadership can start at home, grow in community, and ripple into change. This month, we honor her and countless other women across rural Arizona whose voices are shaping a better future.