On March 18, 2026, the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Student Achievement Program (AANHPI SAP) and Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Solano Community College (SCC) chapters presented a panel of speakers for “Imagining The Future: Women And Leadership.”
The event was held at the Fairfield Campus of Solano Community College. A trio of women leaders, Kathleen Cha (President of Bay Area’s League of Women Voters), Ericka Cruz Guevarra (Host and Producer of KQED Bay Area Podcast) and Susanne Wheet (Vice President of Finance and Administration at Solano Community College). They spoke about their experiences as women in their industry, and how they overcame adversity.
“This event is a leadership panel, we have women from different leadership positions,” said AANHPI member, Kalena Gordon. “This is something we did last year for Women’s History Month and in collaboration with PTK.”
Each speaker gave their own speech, describing their backgrounds in order to provide wisdom for women alike.The first speaker was Ericka Cruz Guevarra, raised in Fairfield and works as a host for KQED’s popular show “The Bay.” As a producer for the show, she was part of a series that won the 2020 Excellence in Journalism award from the Society of Professional Journalists for its coverage of Vallejo policing. She would end up earning her position through the Raul Ramirez Diversity Fund, becoming an intern for KQED.
“It was specifically for San Francisco State students who had an interest in telling stories of underrepresented communities in the Bay Area. All you had to do to apply was pinch a story and this was the first time that they were opening this internship.” Guevarra explained.
“I applied on a bus on the way from the Bay Area to LA. I got in on a pitch about Filipino Americans who never learned to speak their family’s native language.” Guevarra shared.
While working her story, Guevarra “went on this long journey learning about the history of colonialism, the Philippines, and the long impact that that’s had on Filipino Americans today. And once I got that internship, so many other doors opened.” She then secured a full-time job at the news organization.
Susan Wheet, raised in the Central Valley of California, spoke second. Starting her professional career after having raised a family, she then went into teaching seventh grade algebra.
“I set the goal for myself of getting my bachelor’s degree before my oldest started kindergarten. And I got it in June, and he started that August. And then from there I got my master’s degree working towards my doctorate,” said Wheet.
“And then I had a health issue come up and I couldn’t teach anymore. It was the most heartbreaking. Not only because of my health, but because I couldn’t do something that I loved so much.”
After personal time away from work, she returned to work at a non-profit food bank as Director of Finance and Human Resources. This would bring her to SCC, leading to Wheet becoming the Vice President of Finance and Administration.
“Solano opened and I was like, that’s the next step for me. That’s where I can do more good…make sure that students have a voice and are able to do what they need to do.”
The last panelist was Kathleen Cha, who was raised in Los Angeles. As a child she moved often with her family and continued exploring new regions as an adult, living in Milwaukee and then Edinburgh, Scotland.
She has been President at League of Women Voters in San Francisco for almost two years and has been a strategic communications professional for over thirty years in outreach, media and community communications.
Cha stated, “You’ve got to volunteer for everything. There’s a phrase that I came across that became kind of a mantra for what I do. And this came from a poet [who] said, ‘When we walk to the edge of all the light that we have, and take that step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. There will be something solid for us to stand when we step out. Or we will learn how to fly.’”
She has been a first responding firefighter (the first woman in her company), a crisis communications specialist and a children’s author.
“You name it, I did it at one time or the other. I would walk away from some of these [things thinking] I can’t believe, just did that. My point being, you never know what you can do until you have to do it.”
Cha furthered, “Looking into the future, we need to have leaders (which is all of us) to step up in whatever sphere we’re into and find that way to make a difference… to empower the people around us so that we can move forward.”
Guevarra simply adds, “as you rise, carry people with you.”
Wheet weighed in with her advice, “Stand up for yourself. With respect, and with grace, and with empathy. But don’t let other people silence you. Be assertive, say what you want, go for it. It’s the most important thing.”
