Ep. 43 – Put Yourself Out There: A Future Leader’s Path to City Hall (with Gabriela Agarie)

In this Jentry Future Leaders episode, host Jonathan Mason sits down with Gabriela Agarie, a rising public servant whose path to City Hall didn’t follow a straight line. Born in Mexico, raised in Los Angeles, and shaped by resilience, Gabriela opens up about a journey marked by doubt, determination, and the courage to show up even when she didn’t feel ready.
Gabriela shares how she went from struggling academically to securing roles in public service, working with elected officials, and ultimately supporting some of the most diverse communities in Los Angeles. Her story is a reminder that leadership isn’t about perfect grades or perfect timing—it’s about putting yourself out there, applying anyway, and trusting the process.

With honesty and heart, she breaks down the reality of local government work, the importance of representation, and why confidence grows through action, not perfection.

Takeaways
Put Yourself Out There: Gabriela’s career only moved forward because she applied even when she thought she wasn’t “qualified enough.” Her message: don’t count yourself out before anyone else does.

Your Path Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect: She shares openly about graduating with a 2.3 GPA and still building a meaningful career in public service—proof that resilience outweighs perfection.

Representation Builds Trust: As a Latina and first-gen leader, Gabriela shows why lived experience matters in government and why communities deserve leaders who understand their realities.

Public Service Isn’t Glamorous—But It’s Purposeful: Some days are tough, some conversations are heavy, but she believes the work is worth it because “we don’t have to do this—we get to do this.”

Start Early, Start Small, Just Start: Volunteering, interning, and saying yes to opportunities created every step of her journey. Young leaders don’t need permission—they need momentum.

Chapters
00:00 Welcome and introduction
01:38 Growing up between Mexico and Los Angeles
04:52 Struggling in school and finding her direction
08:27 Community college, setbacks, and perseverance
11:40 First steps into public service
14:56 Landing roles she didn’t feel “ready” for
18:13 Representation and serving immigrant communities
22:02 The realities of working in local government
25:31 Advice: put yourself out there, even when scared
28:44 “We don’t have to do this—we get to do this”
30:59 Final reflections and closing thoughts

Keywords
Gabriela Agarie, Jentry Future Leaders, City Hall, Los Angeles, public service, young leaders, representation, resilience, community college, immigrant stories, local government careers, civic engagement, mentorship