Patricia Campos-Medina to be Honored as Changemaker Champion

Patricia Campos-Medina ’96, MPA ’97, executive director of ILR’s Worker Institute and senior extension associate, will be honored as a Changemaker Champion by the YWCA of the City of New York on Oct. 22 at the Salute Gala fundraising event.

The YWCA’s annual Changemaker Champion Award honors an individual whose “bold leadership drives equity and opportunity for women and communities,” Alba Rodriguez said. Rodriguez is CEO of the YWCA of the City of New York. 

Other awardees at the gala include Kathy Hochul, governor of New York; Reshma Saujani, founder of both Girls Who Code and Moms First; Tameka Alsop, chief administrative officer for Moody’s; and Cora Walter, general manager of Brooklyn/Queens Overhead and Services for Con Edison.

“We like to honor someone who has effected change and shown exemplary leadership,” Rodriguez said about the Changemaker Champion award. “For the young people in our program, seeing a Latina woman, an immigrant, leading and effecting change in her field – it shows them what’s possible.”

Lina Bracero, a member of the YWCA of the City of New York’s board of directors, nominated Campos-Medina for the award. “Among her many accomplishments,” Bracero said, “the committee was especially inspired by her founding and leadership of organizations that develop women leaders in the labor movement and beyond, including her role in creating programs that train and mentor women to take on leadership roles in advocacy, politics, and community organizing.”

With the theme “Empowered Girls, Empowered Women,” the gala will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at City Winery, Ballroom at 25 11th Avenue, New York, New York. Funds raised from the gala will support the YWCA of the City of New York.

Campos-Medina was also recently named a 2025 Leaders of Labor Honoree by Schneps Media. The award, given annually to honor members of the labor community and the organizations that support them, was celebrated at the “Leaders of Labor” gala reception on Oct. 8 in Queens, New York. 

At Cornell, Campos-Medina conducts research on immigrant workers’ rights, is policy advisor to labor unions and worker justice organizations and serves as a career liaison to students interested in pursuing careers in the labor and social justice movements. 

Campos-Medina earned her B.S. at the ILR School and her Master of Public Administration from the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs. Her Ph.D. is from Rutgers University.