2022 Beratan Fellow: Maria Garcia-Ortega

Maria Garcia-Ortega joined YCV as a Civic Fellow in 2020 to help North Carolina’s growing Hispainc community become civically engaged.  The UNC-Wilmington senior will graduate this spring and has been awarded the 2022 YCV Beratan Fellowship. 

Now in its second year, the award honors the multiple contributions of our YCV’s talented and dedicated volunteer, the late Kathi Beratan.  The award provides a paid fellowship to a Lead YCV Fellow who has shown outstanding commitment to and demonstration of YCV’s core values.  It is funded by her husband, David Beratan, and other YCV donors who recall Kathi’s dedication to leadership development and community empowerment. 

 “Kathi joined as a volunteer in 2014, when YCV was just beginning, and made huge contributions to our organization by giving her time, energy, and talents.” Executive Director Kate Fellman said. “Kathi did the hard work, and pushed herself to meet the needs that were in front of us. We will always be profoundly grateful for her gifts to this organization.”

“Maria is dedicated to helping others and she’s willing to go outside of her comfort zone to learn new skills to become more effective. I’m proud that she’s using her voice and excited to see her continue to grow.” 

Maria gives her time to YCV but also receives much in return.  

“I’m motivated to work with YCV because my community needs representation,” Maria wrote in her application for the fellowship grant. “YCV has opened its arms to me, and I hope that I can continue to give to this organization.”

“To me, every small moment of interaction with the community encourages me to continue to learn more about voting even when things feel so negative,” she wrote.