TV star Jackie Cruz visits CWU for Hispanic Heritage Month

The Central Washington University community packed the SURC Ballroom on Thursday, October 9, to listen to TV star, musician, and producer Jackie Cruz share her inspiring life story.

Cruz is most famous for her role as Marisol ‘Flaca’ Gonzales in the hit Netflix show Orange is the New Black, but she has also left her mark on the entertainment industry with her music — including her album, “Hija de Chavez” — and several production credits that span a multi-decade career.

Cruz visited the Ellensburg campus and two locations in the Yakima Valley last week in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Her visit was sponsored by CWU, Yakima Downtown Rotary, OIC of Washington, Heritage University, YWCA of Yakima, the CWU Multicultural Center, Campus Activities, and SLICE.

CWU Multicultural Center Director Mal Stewman expressed his gratitude for Cruz’s visit in an interview with Sydney Linville, a reporter for The Observer.

“Her story is just a real story of someone coming from what seems like nothing, and really staying true and connected to the dream that she had,” he said. “We are grateful that she was able to share her story with students and staff alike.”

Cruz’s story centered around her journey from homelessness at age 16 through a debilitating, near-fatal car accident at 17. She overcame that adversity to build a successful career, which reached its peak a few years ago with her role on Orange is the New Black. She told the CWU crowd about how her setbacks helped her discover the inner strength she needed to continue shooting for the stars.

“My accident is probably my favorite to share because I lost my beauty and I realized that beauty never came from what you look like,” she told The Observer. “It’s always who you are from the inside.”

Cruz quit acting early in her career after being dissatisfied with the depth and nuance of the roles she was offered, choosing to pursue her music instead. After finding that she missed the stage, however, Cruz accepted the role of ‘Flaca’, which wound up changing her life forever.

She now lives in Mexico with her husband and three children, enjoying the sense of community in their neighborhood and ongoing opportunities to share her story across the world.

Izellah Rainer, a CWU entrepreneurship major and fan of Cruz, told The Observer that Cruz’s dedication to honesty and cultural openness is part of why she looks up to her.

“I love how she embraces her culture,” Rainer said. “She’s very genuine, and she brings her culture to the table with her whole self. And that’s the most inspirational thing you can do, especially nowadays, is be yourself.”