By Terra Avilla
This might be one of the most pertinent articles I’ve written. I write this with so much love in my heart.
This week’s feature, to be honest, I could have, and should have, written about a long time ago. Someone whose smile is just as illuminant as her personality, Jenni Uruburu.
I met Jenni at the school as her youngest passed through Lassen High. However, through my years in the community, and encounters, Jenni became my friend.
What I learned about Jenni over the past years is that she is a ferocious woman. She is smart and loving and funny.
Jenni currently works as a youth services officer for Lassen County and the job suits her.
Her compassion and knowledge, mixed with her life experience, lends her to be a great role model for young adults.
Jenni goes into schools and with her teams and speaks to youth. I have seen her at work, and she carries herself in a manner that makes these kids feel like they have gained a secondary mother, and a friend. It is spectacular what she does.
Yes, Jenni is really good at her job, but it is the manner in which she carries herself into all facets of her life that make her remarkable. Did you know that every day she and her husband make it a point to have lunch together? To have a date in the midst of their schedules to be with each other.
Jenni is also the mother to three beautiful girls. All of whom were born and raised in our community.
From my life experiences, added with what I see on a day-to-day basis on my job, I can tell you that raising three kind, smart, productive women, does not happen by accident. It happens when you have a mother (and father) who would do anything for you. They love you and build you up, and looking at her daughters, that is exactly how she raised her girls.
Last year, Jenni was hit with devastating losses, yet she remained poised and unshakable. She is most definitely “the calm in the storm” that anyone who is around her gravitates to when things become difficult. I watched as she remained poised after losing her father, doing all that she could to comfort her mother and other family members.
I am sure if you have lived here for any length of time, you know Jenni. She is always willing to support whatever cause or fundraiser, etc. She is always up for a good time, not taking herself too seriously, still finding the joy in each day, and over the past years, I have come to really appreciate how she always remains positive, no matter what.
I encourage all you that know her, to reach out to our Susanville Treasure. Make sure she knows what a gift to us she is, and why she is one of the reasons we ALL love the place we live.
