Patricia R. Zurita

Program Administrator

Originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, Patricia moved to Salinas with her family in 2005 and has called the community home ever since. She graduated from Alisal High School and attended San Francisco State University, where she studied Humanities. Upon returning to Salinas, she continued her education at Hartnell College with the goal of completing the coursework necessary to transfer and pursue a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Mathematics and a career in education.

Throughout her career, Patricia has worked in a variety of educational and community-based roles dedicated to supporting student success. Her experience includes serving as a STEM Tutor at Hartnell College and as a Program Assistant at the Salinas Community Science Workshop, where she helped create engaging learning opportunities for local youth. She also volunteered with CaliforniansForAll, California's statewide service initiative launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this program, she served communities throughout Monterey County, from King City to Pajaro, collaborating with organizations such as Blue Zones Project, Brighter Bites, Dorothy's Place, the Food Bank for Monterey County, and Second Harvest Food Bank.

At YOSAL, Patricia oversees program administration, family communications, enrollment, student records, volunteer coordination, and organizational operations. Her passion for education, youth development, and community engagement guides her work and reflects her belief that every child deserves access to opportunities that foster growth, confidence, and belonging.

As a longtime Salinas resident and mother of two daughters, Patricia understands the importance of community programs and the positive impact they can have on young people and their families. Although her original goal was to become a school administrator through traditional educational pathways, she discovered that her greatest impact could be made through nonprofit youth programming and community-based education. She is proud to support YOSAL's mission of enriching the lives of young people through music while helping create opportunities for students and families to thrive.