Bio

Alma Lizzette Cárdenas- Rodríguez

Alma Lizzette Cárdenas- Rodríguez is a Mexico-Estadounidense born and raised in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, California. She is proud to be a first generation Latina, and daughter of parents that migrated from Mexico’s Durango and Jalisco states. Her upbringing was heavily influenced by her protestant Latina faith community whose unwillingness to engage or answer her questions led her to seminary school. Alma holds a Master of Arts in Transformational Urban Leadership from Azusa Pacific University, an Urban Youth Workers Certificate from Fuller Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor in Christian Ministry from Facultad de Teología. She is her own definition of a wife, mother, friend, mentor, mentee, pastora and teóloga who values truth, justice, and the prophetic voice of our youth and women of color.

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She has over 10 years experience in co-leading and mentoring youth and young adults at a local multi-generational Latina congregation in the San Fernando Valley, and other non-profit spaces. Her passion has always been to create the safe spaces and mentoring relationships she wished she had growing up. After recognizing a need to heal and rest from the patterns of her faith tradition and culture, which had become more toxic than life giving she found life in retreating and writing to heal. As a result she has been able to bring a 5 year old dream of writing her first book to life in 2020. With her writing she hopes to encourage youth and women of color in faith, academic, and community spaces by sharing her story and facilitating workshops to help write visions to light.

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In her free time she enjoys hanging out at local coffee shops with a cup of iced coffee and in company of her daughters, family, friends, or a good book. Silent retreats, and exploring the outdoors or dreaming with her husband Sergio. She currently serves as an academic advisor for graduate students at Fuller Theological Seminary.