麻豆传媒映画

Mara Madrigal defended her dissertation in July, the culmination of three-plus years in 麻豆传媒映画鈥檚 program. It was a milestone she had originally hoped to accomplish in December, but she has no regrets about the delay.

"Some things always need to take priority,鈥� Madrigal said. 鈥淏ig, big things,鈥� 

Big things like leading a statewide effort to curb youth suicide 鈥� rates of which have risen significanty over the past two decades, including dramatic increases in preteens as young as 8.

Madrigal鈥檚 efforts resulted in California Assembly Bill 2003, passed unanimously in both houses of the legislature and signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom July 16. The legislation requires the state to create an online suicide prevention training program for school staff, students and parents. 

The bill was carried by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park). But this was Madrigal鈥檚 passion project from the start.

Madrigal serves as executive director for Student Wellness and School Culture at the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE), where she has worked for more than two decades. She also takes an active role in policy, serving on the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Behavioral Health Commission, as well as the California Department of Education鈥檚 Student Mental Health Policy Work Group.

The team of Madrigal and SDCOE Coordinator Heather Nemour drafted the bulk of the legislation and pushed it forward through subcommittees and the Behavioral Health Commission. With its passage, Madrigal is thrilled for the win 鈥� and what it will mean for California students.

"When you lead with compassion and understanding, people will come with you,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ecause everybody wants to do what's right. We all want to save kids' lives."

Filling gaps

AB 2003 builds on legislation passed early in the COVID-19 pandemic that made limited online suicide prevention training availible to middle and high school districts and staff. 

"We thought, this is a great idea, however what was missing was it did not give access to parents or caregivers,鈥� Madrigal recalls. 鈥淲hen you're looking at suicide prevention, you want that entire network 鈥� everybody in a child's life. Things happen on the weekends, things happen after 5 p.m. We thought it was a big piece that was missing."

Thanks to a Mental Health Services Student Services Act grant, Madrigal鈥檚 team at SDCOE found a better way. 

They built capacity and expertise in suicide prevention among, educators, students and parents across its 15 districts and 440 schools. SDCOE utilized an evidence-based screening tool and tracked anonymous student data on grade level, ethnicity, gender and more. The idea was to identify trends and practice proactive prevention.

鈥淚n essence, we believe we're saving lives,鈥� Madrigal said. 鈥淲e have worked with all of our school officials to know exactly what to do. " 

That experience inspired Madrigal to take up AB 2003. And, indeed, the new law will offer free trainings to school staff, students and parents and caregivers. Data will be collected on whether districts are performing screenings and what tool they are using. All major wins, Madrigal said.

To her dismay, however, tracking screening data to help identify student trends did not make it through the legislative process 鈥� a shortcoming she aims to rectify soon.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 need to know the trends so I can build in the interventions and the trainings. We need to know what we don't know. I'm hoping next year we can expand on this."

Education as equalizer

When she has her sights set on making a positive difference, Madrigal is tenacious and relentless. She credits the inspiration of her father, who immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico as part of the Bracero Program, a guest worker initiative in the mid-20th century. Francisco Javier Madrigal worked in the agricultural fields before serving in the Air Force and earning two master鈥檚 degrees.

Mara Madrigal, who put herself through the University of Nevada Las-Vegas as an undergraduate by working at Binion's Horseshoe casino, now has a doctorate to go along with three master鈥檚 degrees.

鈥淔rom an early age, I was raised to know that the only thing that will be the equalizer is education,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t's the only thing you can give yourself that nobody in the whole wide world can take away."

麻豆传媒映画鈥檚 Ed.D. program, Madrigal said, inspired her to get more involved in policy. She credited her professors with giving her a firm grasp of the history of the education system and how it shaped the present.

鈥淲hat I learned through the program is that we can still do so much more,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s educators, we have this responsibility to make sure that we are advocating for legislation, getting into those rooms and tables. When we're shocked at the ed code that comes out, or legislation that comes out that makes no sense, it鈥檚 because it is not educators who were writing it. 

鈥淚'm passionate because I want the system of education to be the best it can be for all the kids who need education to do better. And I don't think it's there yet.鈥� 

988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, offers 24/7 judgment-free support for mental health, substance use, and more. Text, call, or chat 988.