May 27, 2022- Fuego is Spanish for fire. When Dr. Isaac Zuniga or Dr. Z as he is affectionately known as , host of one of Neuhoff Media’s newest talk shows, was coming up with a concept and name for the show, he thought about what fuego/fire meant to him.
“When I think about fuego and fire, I think about something that is hot, and active, and alive,” Dr. Zuniga said. “I am able to do that with radio”.
Long before hosting Fuego, Dr. Zuniga had a vision that included radio, even though he did not always know what that vision would look like. The vision came to him while working at his previous college institute, Kennedy-King College. He would walk past the college’s radio station, take a look inside, and started to envision how radio could one day be a part of his life.
“I remember I would stop by, to kind of peek in,” Dr. Zuniga said. “I never really thought I would be behind the scenes, on a microphone talking on a show, but somehow that vision was in my head. Like this was destined to happen. That’s how I see it. I really have a lot of favor. I think I have been very blessed. Often people ask me how are you. I say I am blessed by the best and highly favored because I believe that, for me I am just living the vision.”
That vision does not become a reality without Dr. Zuniga’s co-host and wife, Rebekah Zuniga.
“What I value the most are the conversations that we have on the show as they are based around real life storytelling experiences, Dr. Zuniga said. “We focus on the complexity of our human experiences as a couple, as colleagues, and as radio hosts. This process of sharing stories strengthens our ability to consider different perspectives and builds our empathy towards others.”
Rebekah is the director of Enrich healthcare program at Richland Community College, who strives to bring in more diversity, equity, and belonging into the healthcare sector. Once the lights shut off, and the doors are locked at the college, Rebekah still dons her healthcare hat. That never comes off. Recently, while on vacation, Rebekah and her family were on board a flight. While in the air, a passenger passed out, and next thing the fellow passengers know, an announcement is heard asking if there are any healthcare workers on board. Rebekah did not hesitate, as she sprung into action. She triaged the passenger, stabilized her, and once the plane landed, she assisted first responders by reporting what had happened.
“That was some superhero stuff; that was just amazing to see,” Dr. Zuniga said.
Just like his “superhero” wife, Dr. Zuniga, too, works at Richland Community College. He serves as the Vice President of student success. His role is to support students by providing services that can meet them where they are at.
“My job is to get students and community members from the street to a seat to complete,” Dr. Zuniga said. “And how we do that, is to provide them with wrap-around services, whether it is coaching, financial aid, or veteran services. Meet them where they are at. Remove these barriers because coming to college is a barrier to begin with. And then allow them to build confidence, assist with academic programing, and while they are in academic track, check in on them, and provide support at various check in points to make sure they have what they need to be successful. We know that all students, especially now, require more support services, so the industry in terms of college education has more of a social service component to it. We try to address issues that are really not on campus but happen externally to our community members and our students that impact what they do on campus.”
Dr. Zuniga’s community college journey began 25 years ago, at a local community college in his hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. As a junior in high school, Dr. Zuniga enrolled in the ACE program.The program identified at-risk juniors at the local high school who were either first-generation, low income, or had a disability. Dr. Zuniga fit the criteria as he met all of those needs.
Because he had to work multiple jobs to help support his family, he often would have to leave class early. While taking a criminology class, he saw an application on of the desks that said “Go to college”. He was told by one of his classmates that it was about the ACE program and how it would allow junior students to take summer classes at the community college, and then Saturday classes in the fall and spring, during your senior year. The program would be free of charge, and give students between 16-24 college credits. While Dr. Zuniga had never planned to go to college, he could not pass this opportunity up. After receiving permission from his mother, he applied. Due to his tenacity and refusing to take no for an answer, he earned a spot in the program. While in the program, he started to work at college, thus gaining him access to the field of student success.
“I got my associate’s degree, and I moved up in positions,” Dr. Zuniga said. “I got my bachelor’s degree, and moved up in positions. “I knew at that point that I wanted to commit my life to the community college. Community college has been that transformation of change when you think about who we serve. We serve everyone. It’s an education institution that is for everyone. When I meet with students, I often say college is not for everyone but the opportunity to go to college is. That is what the community college does. It transforms lives. It is the most diverse sector of higher education in all of the country.”
Fast forward to 2018. After spending some time in Chicago, Dr. Zuniga, his wife, and their three boys, Noah, Mateo, and Luke, found themselves in Decatur. Dr. Zuniga believes it was the perfect fit for his family.
“Decatur was the perfect spot for us, for three reasons,” Dr. Zuniga said. “Number one, they had two hospitals. Number two, we had small children, and we were looking for opportunities to have a quality of life that is only in story books, being able to ride their bikes, being able to have friends. The third was the leadership of Richland, I was interviewing in Texas and California at the same time, received various offers at the same time, but it was a sense of belonging and community of Decatur that made my choice very obvious.”
Community is important to the Zuniga family. When Dr. Isaac Zuniga is not impacting the lives of students at Richland Community College, through his role as Vice President of student success, he can be found in the community trying to make Decatur a place that is inclusive for all. He is involved in coaching sports, involved in the Latino community group CHICO (Centro for Hispanic and Immigrant Community Opportunities), serves on the Maroa-Forsyth school board, serves on the Boys and Girls Club of Decatur board, and is the first person of color on the Decatur Club board.
While education and community encompass who Dr. Zuniga is, so does equity, diversity, and inclusion.
“I want to be an advocate for belonging, diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Dr. Zuniga said. “Not just in my profession, but for my children. I want them to have an opportunity, and for all those as well who are not really supported.”
Dr. Zuniga incorporates equity, diversity, and inclusion, into Fuego, while simultaneously highlighting the core values that make the Zuniga family who they are. Those values include faith, family, friends, food, music, education, and community. The show strategically spotlights Latinx culture, music, food, and traditions, in an effort to share with others. The show not only highlights top leaders of great organizations, but also informal leaders who impact the good work being done in the community.
“I believe I have both the opportunity and obligation to advance and promote the community college, strengthen our equity and inclusive practices in our community,” Dr. Zuniga said.
Dr. Zuniga believes the time to inform and celebrate diversity and inclusion within the community has never been more urgent to fulfill that obligation, and says that community and community building are central themes to Fuego Talk conversations.
That once we do this, we begin to have more conversations about what we have in common than what makes us different.
“When I think about diversity and I think about what it brings in, and this concept about being inclusive, every voice has to be represented, Dr. Zuniga said. “Every voice has the ability to make an impact. I think the Latinx specifically here in Decatur was somewhat voiceless in this community. There was no avenue, no mechanism, no organization, and no voice to provide them with an outlet to connect and engage. There is one, now, and I am proud to be a part of that. I think it is exciting. I think it is evolving, as we look at special guests and activities. It is just getting better. This is just the beginning of a long journey of engagement, community building, and belonging.”
Tune in to Fuego, every Friday, from 5 p.m.- 6 p.m. Only on WSOY 1340 AM/ 103.3 FM, & Streaming Live on NowDecatur.com. With your hosts, Dr. Isaac Zuniga & Rebekah Zuniga. Where they always keep it hot with the doc, with Fuego Talk.
To listen to past podcasts, click here.
