Momentum Builds Behind Government Funding Efforts Under New Hire Maggie Cornejo
By David Jacobson
Just three months after joining Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula (BGCP) as the organization’s first-ever Director of Government and Community Relations, Maggie Cornejo has helped secure $186,200 via two separate Measure K grants from the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
The first grant – for $86,200, sponsored by District 2 Supervisor Noelia Corzo – was approved at the Board’s May 23 meeting and provides for expanded learning programs in the San Mateo-Foster City School District. That includes hiring one full-time site director and eight part-time youth development leaders at San Mateo’s Sunnybrae Elementary School and LEAD Elementary School.
The second grant – for $100,000, sponsored by District 4 Supervisor Warren Slocum – will support year-round mental health services for students from District 4 neighborhoods. That includes hiring additional staff therapists to provide more clinician hours and serve more students. BGCP expects to increase the total number of students receiving therapy to 300 (a 134% growth from the previous year) and to provide 3,500 client sessions (a 213% growth from the previous year), while expanding its services to serve middle-school students for the first time.
Beyond the numbers, these initiatives offer immeasurable hope and comfort to hundreds of K-12 students suffering from learning loss due to the pandemic, the psychological strain of that situation, and stress stemming from everyday life in socio-economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Fortunately for these families, BGCP Chief Executive Officer Jenny Obiaya and Chief Advancement Officer Tina Syer had the vision and wherewithal to hire Cornejo.
In addition to the technical expertise her position requires, honed during her six-plus years working in San Mateo County government, Cornejo brings to her role unique sensibilities, shaped by similar experiences she faced en route to becoming a first-generation college graduate. Cornejo was born and raised in North Fair Oaks and attended Garfield School, The Girls’ Middle School and later Menlo-Atherton High School. In her own childhood, she “experienced some schools with lots of resources and others with less,” she said, “so I’ve always been passionate about serving the community and closing the opportunity gap.”
When Cornejo made the change to The Girls’ Middle School, she realized how behind she was. “I was behind academically as I was going into that school, incredibly behind. I didn’t read and write in English as well as the other students, and that opened my eyes to the fact that I was always going to be playing catch-up. That starts with early education and goes all the way into professional development. Mentorship has been key in my life, and when I worked in Supervisor Slocum’s office, I received that.”
Cornejo earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a Minor in Spanish Language from San Jose State University. Her background now positions her to build relationships with elected officials and community leaders, “so that when buckets of money come available – whether local, state, or federal – I’m working collaboratively with leaders to make sure that BGCP is considered for that funding.” After her first few months with BGCP, Cornejo said she “feels grateful to Tina for her empowerment of me…she’s a great team leader. And I enjoy the team for all its diversity in age, background, socioeconomics, and race. I love hanging out with the kids. Plus, the function of government is still a passion for me, and I love that I get to maintain those relationships and continue to serve my community.
In her immediate future with BGCP, Cornejo plans to meet with every city council that serves a BGCP site by the end of 2023 and to continue welcoming “more people who serve the communities to BGCP site visits, so that they know what we do, and when funds are available, we’re on top of people’s minds.”