Corn Mothers

PHILOSOPHY

My life has been guided by the belief that we are here on earth to serve others. Growing up in a large family of twelve children, I learned responsibility early and discovered joy through music, dance, and community. Those experiences, along with the struggles of migrant labor and the hardships I endured as a young mother, taught me perseverance, humility, and gratitude.

Education became a turning point in my journey. Earning my GED, taking college courses, and later becoming a nurse allowed me to serve families and communities in meaningful ways. At Sunrise Community Health Center, I dedicated myself not only to patient care, but also to outreach — helping migrant families access resources, teaching childbirth and wellness classes, and advocating for Spanish-speaking communities when language was a barrier to care.

Just as important to me has been preserving and sharing culture. Through Ballet Folklórico, I have taught thousands of children the traditions that brought me joy as a child. Dance, like service, connects us across generations, reminding us of where we come from and giving us strength for the future.

I have been blessed to walk with many communities — from the Chicano movement to the Lakota Sundance — always seeking peace, dignity, and justice. My heroes — my parents, my husband Keith, and indigenous elders — taught me honesty, humility, and the courage to stand up for others.

Ultimately, my philosophy is simple: live with compassion, work hard, honor your roots, and dedicate your life to lifting others

My Corn Mothers and Fathers

To tell of my life is to honor the many hands, hearts, and voices that helped shape it. I have always sought to demonstrate resilience, compassion, cultural pride, and an unwavering commitment to serving others. At the core of my path are the people who influenced me most deeply: my parents, my grandmother and aunt, my husband Keith, and the elders and spiritual leaders who welcomed me into indigenous traditions. Together, these figures shaped the values and passions that I have carried into my work as a nurse, educator, bearer of culture, and community leader.

Roots of My Strength: My Parents

I was born in Natalia, Texas in 1942 into a large, joyful family of twelve children. My parents, Pedro Rodríguez and Joaquina Ybarra, gave me my first and most lasting examples of character and strength.

From my father Pedro, I learned the value of honesty and hard work. A man who embodied perseverance, he instilled in his children the belief that life’s hardships could be endured with dignity and that every challenge was an opportunity to strengthen one’s character. His lessons became the foundation of my own ethic: to work tirelessly, not only for myself, but for others, and to hold truth as a guiding principle.

My mother, Joaquina, balanced that with lessons in humility and compassion. In a home filled with twelve children, humility was a necessity — everyone had to contribute, share, and care for one another. My mother taught me that kindness was not weakness, but strength, and that to truly serve others required listening, empathy, and love. These teachings became an important part of every aspect of my later work, from my nursing care to my advocacy for migrant families and children.

Cultural Gifts: My Grandmother Guadalupe and Aunt Teresa

Along with my parents, I was nurtured by the cultural teachings of my grandmother, Guadalupe Ybarra, and my aunt, Teresa Ramírez, both dance instructors in the small town of Natalia. From them, I learned that music and dance were not merely forms of entertainment, but expressions of identity, resilience, and joy.

At the age of five, I began performing in community festivities, carrying forward a tradition that would become a lifelong passion. Through dance, I discovered the importance of celebrating heritage and creating spaces where culture could be preserved and passed down. My grandmother and aunt gave me the gift of movement and rhythm, but more importantly, they gave me the understanding that culture is a source of pride and strength. This influence grew into my decades-long commitment to teaching Ballet Folklórico, touching the lives of thousands of children and families in Greeley and beyond.

Trials of Life: Shaping Resilience

My young adulthood was filled with challenges that tested the lessons of my family. I married early, raised four children, and endured an abusive relationship that ended in divorce in 1968. Rather than allowing hardship to define me, I chose resilience. Returning to school to earn a GED, I pursued higher education and explored careers in secretarial work, accounting, and early childhood education.

During these years, I leaned on the foundational lessons of my parents: honesty, humility, and hard work. These carried me through sleepless nights working multiple jobs — sewing in factories by day and washing dishes in cafés by night — while raising my children. The strength of my mother and father’s teachings became my compass during those years of trial, and it was through these hardships that I discovered my calling to serve others.

A Partner in Life and Purpose: My Husband, Keith McNeill

My next great influence came with my work at Head Start in Greeley, where I met Keith McNeill, then director of the program. When we married in 1974, Keith became not only my life partner, but also my partner in purpose.

Keith encouraged me to pursue nursing, recognizing my gifts for caregiving and advocacy. His support was profound, helping me raise six children while I returned to school to earn my nursing degree. Together, we shared a vision of community service, justice, and cultural pride. Keith’s encouragement expanded my belief in myself, and his partnership gave me the foundation to take on leadership roles, whether in healthcare, cultural education, or social movements.

Keith also stood beside me in broader struggles for justice. Together, we were involved in the Chicano movement, supported César Chávez and the United Farmworkers Union, and participated in demonstrations for dignity and equality. His influence was one of empowerment — reminding me that my voice, culture, and service mattered deeply in the larger fight for justice.

The Wisdom of Elders: Lakota and Indigenous Leaders

Beyond my family, my life was profoundly shaped by the teachings of Lakota elders and indigenous leaders. After years of cultural and community work, I was welcomed into sacred traditions, participating in the Sundance Ceremony, Vision Quests, and Sweat Lodges. Over twelve years, I became not only a participant, but a leader, entrusted with responsibilities such as running sweat lodges.

Chief Gerald Ice, Chief Leonard Crow Dog, Chief David Swallow, and Nahuatl leaders such as Tlakaelel and Aurelio expanded my spiritual horizons and grounded my work in ceremony, vision, and prayer. These elders affirmed my role as a cultural and spiritual leader, recognizing my strength and wisdom. I was given the spirit name Wambli Wochakpi Wi — Eagle Star Woman — an honor that connected me to generations of tradition and responsibility.

Through these teachings, I deepened my understanding of life as service. The ceremonies reinforced the values of balance, respect, and sacrifice, reminding me that leadership is rooted in humility and in walking alongside people, not above them.

A Legacy of Influence

What emerges from my story is not only the profound influence of my mentors and loved ones, but also the ways in which I became a source of support for others. The lessons of my father, mother, grandmother, aunt, husband, and indigenous elders not only stayed within me; they multiplied through my life’s work.

As a nurse at Sunrise Community Health Center, I carried my parents’ lessons of honesty, humility, and compassion to families who needed care and advocacy. As a cultural educator, I carried my grandmother and aunt’s love of dance into classrooms, community centers, and stages, ensuring that children would know the joy of heritage. As a wife and partner, I have carried Keith’s encouragement forward by empowering others to pursue education and justice. And as a spiritual leader, I have carried the wisdom of indigenous elders into the lives of countless people seeking healing, guidance, and connection.

Closing Reflection

My life is a testament to the power of influence — how the teachings of parents, family, partners, and elders can shape not just one life, but entire communities. I try to embody the values I was taught: honesty, humility, compassion, perseverance, and service. I try to be a living example of those values, passing them on to children, families, and communities through my work in health, culture, and justice.

Honoring me as a Corn Mother also honors those who shaped me: my father Pedro, my mother Joaquina, my grandmother Guadalupe, my aunt Teresa, my husband Keith, and the Lakota and Nahuatl elders who welcomed me into their traditions. Each of them planted seeds in my life, and through my dedication and passion, I have sought to nurture those seeds into a flourishing legacy of service, in many roles, to the many people in my life.

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