Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld, LLP, focusing on business law and commercial litigation, is proud to support Rob on the Road - Region Rising.

More information available at murphyaustin.com.

And now Rob on the Road, exploring Northern California.

Coming up, San Francisco 49ers star player Arik Armstead is a MVP in the classroom.

Arik tackles literacy in our region, ahead, and joins us from San Francisco.

But first, my conversation with West Sacramento Vice Mayor Quirina Orozco, mother of four, deputy district attorney with the Sacramento County DAs office, humanitarian and fighter.

I am so thrilled to have Quirina Orozco joining us now on Region Rising.

It's great to see you and thanks for doing this, Quirina.

Pleasure to be here, Rob.

Thank you.

I can't help but notice the Tower Bridge necklace you're wearing.

And I- If I had to describe you to... to people, I would say that you are a bridge builder.

- Wow, thank you.

- That's who you are.

Um, in community, in politics, in this world at large, you're a bridge builder.

Do you see that?

Well, thank you for that incredible compliment.

Uh, I think one could only hope to aspire to be that.

I think that's one of the greatest compliments that one could ever receive, frankly.

Um, so, yeah, along the journey, I hope that I can continue, uh, to at least live with that type of mantra in my life.

Self evaluation is so important.

And you are a leader in this region, as you mentioned, council, West Sacramento, um, politics, the DAs office.

And then, everything you do in your life- children, youre married, you have... you have all many different chapters in your life that... that have roots that spread far and wide.

What do you see- As someone with the DAs office, someone whos in politics, and someone who is a human being helping others with being human, what do you see are some of the needs in our region that we really should get real about?

I mean, how much time do we have?

Right?

I mean- - We could do this for weeks.

There are any variety of... of problems and I'm just grateful that we have people that have committed their lives, uh, in... in whatever, uh, however they have, you know, decided to attack the problems, a multitude, a myriad of problems that we have that we... we need to talk about.

Um, and that's exacerbated, of course, by the fact that so many of us are... are not at the table to... to share, uh, the diversity of approaches.

Housing insecurity is a big deal that happened to you and I and anyone just by- It can happen in a... in a blink from one day to the next, you know?

To me, though, knowing that and having that as part of my lens, and understanding, uh, how it felt to live temporarily in West Capitol Avenue motels- Now, sitting in the same city in a- in... in a brand new, you know, city hall with a gold nameplate and a big black leather chair, I feel like, you know, my lens toward making policy for the city of West Sacramento has changed as a result of my experiences as a child living in West Sacramento in different parts of the city.

Um, with that said, I think we need a diversity of folks to- that... that are able to, uh, be committed to solving the problems and not because, you know, we need fancy titles or we need to be ad... adored or... or receive any affirmation.

It's... its all about the work, right?

And so, um, finding those people who are willing to do the work without taking the credit, um, people who come to the table because they're committed to service and not to politics.

I am not in it for politics.

Frankly, I don't have time for that.

I...

I'm a... a child abuse prosecutor... you know, um, in addition to being a full time mother and wife and friend and, um, and committed community member.

I have the great opportunity of being- having a platform, um, as a- the vice mayor of the city of West Sacramento to do some of the things that I envision.

Um, but of course, you know, there are people that have, uh, a lot of energy and a lot more, uh, time on their hands and... and a lot more commitment that will come right after me and also take the reins.

And together, we- I think we could get a lot of these problems, um, addressed.

I think we just need to come genuine and exposed and ready to roll up our sleeves and get the work done.

Yeah, when you- When we show up real, um, things get real and we get real results.

And when we don't and we focus on one issue that's not the real issue, its- it is distractions.

There- We see so much today, in this world, of distraction, uh, from the real issues.

And you said something very powerful about a seat at the table.

Um, and... and in fact, it made national news when West Sacramento had its last election.

And all... all... all members are female, women.

[Quirina] Yeah.

I respect that my colleagues have difference in thought, that we're diverse.

Uh, we're not- You know, it kills me when people say, like, "the homeless."

Whoa.

There are so many different dynamics and dimensions to people and we can't just be defined as... as "women."

We are so remarkably dynamic and different.

And, you know, um, frankly, I'm on this council to get work done, and I have the confidence that there are others that are sitting along to my left and right, who are there for the same.

And that takes me to the strength of the human spirit, and that somewhere in between all of that noise is really what matters most.

And life has a way of taking us on that journey and pointing out the things that do matter the most, and I guess I want to ask you, what do you feel is something that needs to be shared, that we're not hearing enough of, that you know to be and that it should be shared?

I recently was dealt with the, uh, challenge of my life, something that would have ended the chapters in the book.

I was, uh, told that I have, uh, advanced stage four kidney cancer, that it metastasized, uh, throughout my body.

And as a result of this diagnosis, um, I may have a limited amount of time to live out my dreams.

Now, regardless of... of whether or not I believe that diagnosis or prognosis or... or what's in my future, I'll tell you that nothing in life is ever fixed or forever... None of us.

We could all live another 50 years of our life and do absolutely nothing with it.

But my advice to others, um, is to... to live every day, um, you know, embracing your uniqueness and embracing, uh, the opportunity of... of having a purpose-driven life and... and letting the universe know what you're here for, uh, to not put up these facades.

Our titles, um, you know, all of the things that people want to define me by, that doesn't say really anything about me or my will.

My will is bigger than any title that I could ever have.

My will to live has- is probably the... the biggest, um, purpose that I've ever had.

It's bigger than winning any trial, uh, or fighting- I shouldnt say “winning.

” Uh, uh, receiving justice and fighting for justice is- has always been my main thing, right?

Especially for the... the... the survivors that I'm fighting for.

I will do anything for that.

But my will to live for my children is... is much bigger than... than... than anything I've ever experienced before.

So, I'm willing to be authentic and exposed and... and... and to come as my most honest and authentic self and redefine what it looks like to be a mother, um, a councilmember, a vice mayor, a child abuse prosecutor, and, uh, and a woman who's fighting stage four cancer.

And I intend to be my best at that, along the trajectory of this journey.

I, um- I want you to know that I am- I'm very touched and thank you for sharing that, because it exemplifies everything that we just talked about.

It's about being real and your gifts to the world, and they come in many different ways.

And living in the now instead of yesterday or tomorrow is where our gifts come from.

And that's what I'm trying to do here, and that's what you're doing there.

And when we come together, we can do that anywhere.

And we are having this conversation, Quirina and I are, because we're inviting you along with us, watching, to be real in the moment.

It will blow your mind, the shift that can happen in this world, when you show up in it, regardless of what you carry with you.

Quirina... Quirina and I have had conversations about this, what you just shared, offline and not on television.

So, trust that we've had those moments and I'm not going to fill our time here with that, because that's between me and you.

But I want to say that I'm proud of you.

Thank you.

And I want to also say, what has this taught you?

Hmm.

Ive learned that life is short and you only get this once, and this is not just a bumper sticker.

When you are faced with your own mortality, which I think few of us really embrace- We could- we could die tomorrow, uh, frankly, you know, any number of ways.

Uh, we take it for granted, I think.

You know, I planned my whole life expecting to retire at 62 and then travel the world and its the- it's a... its a narrative that I've had to now, uh, distance myself from because there are other possibilities before me.

What I would say is that we shouldn't take ourselves too seriously.

We should learn how to... to laugh at ourselves and recognize that, you know, life is... is... is really a fleeting moment.

Um, we don't have to get it perfect.

We just have to leave it better- uh, leave the world better than... than the way we started.

And, um, whatever we leave in our lifetime will last a lot longer than, you know, after we leave this... this earth.

And so, I've been...

I've been really happy with... with the way, uh, in the last several years, I've been able to embrace, um, my own reflection in the mirror.

And, uh, you know, it's crazy, um, I have a new battle, and part of my purpose is to live a little longer for the people who I love and to be a part of my community and... and help support other people who might similarly be going through, uh, a... a similar challenge.

But I know that the things that I... that Ive gone through, um, in my life have only been the preparation for the battles that I'm yet to face.

All of the times that I've failed and, you know, those are- were opportunities to teach me resilience and how to not be- how not to let my fears define my behaviors.

And I was told that there's not much left.

I mean, imagine that.

Imagine the silence that you must have after hearing that.

At the same time, it's like, well, I think I'm going to redefine the narrative.

And even if it's true that there is only a limited amount of time, I'll tell you, I have to do this my way.

I have to live every day to its fullest.

I have to, um, know why I'm here.

And if it's to brighten the days of other people facing illness, if it's... if it's encourage them- encouraging them to... to go to therapy to release any pent up resentment or frustrations or... or, um, fears or all of the things that we carry with us that make us sick, um, I know that my being here has a purpose, and I'm going to do my best to be that person for somebody else.

That's powerful.

Service is a way through everything.

And fear- I learned an acronym, um, in rehab, actually, uh, for fear- False Evidence Appearing Real.

False Evidence Appearing Real.

Fear.

Yeah.

I... I- You know what?

I'm going to...

I'm going to comment on that.

It is.

And, you know, what you had just said a moment ago, I have this, uh, this saying.

Its that we suffer more from our unsubstantiated fears and imagination than we do our own reality, frankly, that what's in our head is what's kind of imprisoning us from... from doing the things that we want to do.

We're contained, you know, and compartmentalized, oftentimes, by our own, uh, responses, our own fears and... and insecurities.

But, you know, when you're faced with your own mortality, you know, everything becomes noise after that.

And, you know, I think every day we have this opportunity to reconsider the impact that all of the struggles that we've had, how they impact us.

And, you know, we can turn those struggles into strengths and, uh, the trauma that we experience into triumph for someone else.

I put everything else on the forefront, and I didn't get a checkup.

I didn't make the time for me and put myself first.

And so, as a result of that, stage four cancer, which could have been stage two, which could have been stage one, had I just gone to the doctor a little sooner.

Um, you know, that... that's a folly.

Learn from it, please.

Uh, but my new- at the top of my list is beating cancer, and being that 10, 8% of the people who can beat this.

And, um, you know, the world has not met a bigger competitor than me.

I adore you.

Likewise.

♪♪ I am so thrilled to have Arik Armstead join us right now from Levi's Stadium in San Francisco.

Arik, it's great to see you.

Good to see you, too.

Thanks for having me.

Absolutely.

And thank you for making time.

You just had practice today, so I know you are incredibly busy.

The Armstead Academic Project.

Wow, Arik, what a... what a wonderful thing.

First of all, tell me why you chose to do this with your heart and... and with your platform and with your- frankly, your money.

Yeah, I think education is key.

Um, I think equity in education solves a lot of issues in terms of a poverty gap, achievement gap, um, other social, uh, justice issues that we see in our country.

I think that if there was equity in education and a zip code didnt determine the type of education you receive, um, I feel like, you know, our country would be a... a lot better for it.

And, uh, so that's what I wanted to do, is... is work with, uh, students and families in disadvantaged backgrounds who don't have the opportunities that others have, uh, to be successful and get a good education and go in and get a good job and, you know, live the quote, unquote, "American dream," which, um, we preach in this country.

Arik, you said something so powerful about the zip code.

It is so unfair, um, the disparity, uh, both in education and in health.

And I think they're connected, frankly.

Um, you are working very hard on changing, specifically, the reading and the access to inspiration, education and... and health through your foundation.

Have you seen firsthand, in your life, the inequities?

Yeah, I see it.

I've seen it growing up.

Um, I went to- You know, I went to different schools throughout Sacramento, um, you know, in impoverished areas and in the suburbs.

Uh, I went to a private Catholic school for a year, and I got to see what that was like.

You know, I went to public schools.

So- Uh, I even did homeschool.

I went to a homeschool for a year through a charter school.

So, I got a chance to see, personally, um, the differences throughout Sacramento in education.

And I got to- a firsthand experience, too, with my own life, of, you know, being a struggling student, um, at a young age and, you know, reading was... was my big struggle.

And, um, you know, stats show that if students arent reading proficiently by third grade, the likelihood of them dropping out of high school is four times more likely.

And we know what, you know, life can look like for a high school dropout.

Um- You know?

So, you know, I've seen from personal experience.

I've seen, um, others, my peers go through situations and experiences and, um, you know, I was really lucky to have the support and- uh, poured into me, you know, by my mom and my teachers, um, and really take that time to... to get me to where I need to be and keep working hard and get better.

But, um, reading is... is key.

It's the foundation of your education and, um, literacy amongst young elementary school students is very important.

So, we definitely love to focus there, because that is the foundation that sets up the rest of your education.

The Armstead Academic Project you launched in 2019, um, you, yourself, are... are young and you've chosen to dedicate your time and your platform.

I mean, right now, you could be doing anything you wanted, but you're sitting here talking to us about making children's lives better, so much so, that your team has consistently nominated you for the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, because you are so philanthropic.

And I think philanthropic really is love in action.

And that, to me, is who you are.

Yeah.

Well, for one thing, I do want to say that it is difficult, um, and I do see why, sometimes, people decide not to do it.

You know, it is tough, at times, to, um, commit to... commit to and do so much when I'm trying to, you know, continually grow my career and- But at the same time, I feel like it's my responsibility and I feel that, um, I've been so blessed with the platform and the resources to do it.

If not me, then who?

[Rob] Mmhmm.

[Arik] Um, how can I corral other people to do it, and inspire them to want to create change in their city as well?

Or other people from Sacramento who want to join in and be a part of what we're trying to accomplish and how we're trying to start.

So, it definitely is tough to commit to so much, um, but I feel it's my responsibility and I love doing it.

Arik, I...

I never want to miss an opportunity to inspire somebody else.

And we have all, in our lives- it's... its just human- had tough times, um, and we all need inspiration.

So, what would you say to someone about a time in your life that you struggled?

Where did you find that next step and what would you say to someone who is just having a hard time right now?

Mmhmm.

Well, um, to be honest, I know not everyone is religious, but for me, uh, being grounded in my faith was very key for me, and, um, relinquishing control.

You know, I feel, at times, we feel that we're always in control and that every decision we make and everything we do is make or break and a determining factor of what happens for us.

But me, just taking a step back and controlling what I can control- which is, you know, my effort, um, you know, how I treat people, try to do things the right way and, you know, letting, uh, God take care of the rest- was- has really allowed me to, um, walk around with a sense of peace and a sense of understanding and purpose that, um, you know, there's a ultimate plan for my life.

And my plan is- um, for me, is to, you know, be an inspiration, be, um, a great husband and father and, um, you know, be a leader and, you know, corral people together.

Um, so, yeah, I feel that even in rough times where, you know- I've dealt with a lot from, uh, injuries and, you know, disappointments and failures and, um, things not looking like they were going to turn out the way they did, um, just, you know, having faith and controlling the things that I can control and, um, you know, living with inner peace, I feel as though has been very helpful for me.

To be even-keeled and never too high, never too low, and, um, no matter what happens, I'm always steadily moving forward.

Um, you know, I'm never too high because I know that a lot of things that great happened for me weren't just because of what I did, you know?

I was super fortunate.

And I'm never too low because I always know that, um, I can learn lessons in situations.

And there's a ultimate plan for my life, and, um, I'm going to continue to live that out.

Someone said to me the other day that it's not about the destination, but it's how you- you're driving along the way.

You know, it's not about where you're going, but what you're doing in this very moment.

[Arik] Mmhmm.

[Rob] And I...

I can't help but ask you in this very moment, um, is there anything that must be shared that's on your heart that you just feel compelled to say or to talk about?

Yeah.

Uh, I believe in humanity.

I believe that we're all more alike than we are different.

I believe that there are- I...

I believe that our society is not fully functioning at our highest level.

And so, everyone has a chance to be involved, till there is true equity, till, um, you know, people have the same opportunities as other.

And I feel as though, uh, we can get put into boxes and get pinned against each other, whether that's race, sexuality, religion, uh, finances.

Um, you know, there's all these things that well try to divide each other and put people into groups.

But at the end of the day, we're all human beings and, um, I hope people tap back into that natural love and compassion, uh, for one another, um, and that that can be a driving force of change for our society.

That's awesome.

Arik, I appreciate you so much.

This time with you has been, um, very uplifting, and I see why everybody sees you the way they do.

I...

I'm so lucky to get to see that now, in person, because you are truly a spectacular person and I am better for having this time with you.

Thank you.

Appreciate you for having me.

Thanks for joining us!

You can watch when you want at robontheroad.org.

♪♪ Murphy Austin Adams Schoenfeld, LLP, focusing on business law and commercial litigation, is proud to support Rob on the Road - Region Rising.

More information available at murphyaustin.com.