Keynote Speaker

Please welcome Rohanee Zapanta, our Pinay Powerhouse VII Keynote Speaker.

Judge Rohanee Zapanta was appointed in 2018 by Governor Brown as the second Filipina American to serve as Superior Court Judge for San Diego County. Judge Zapanta was recently awarded in October 2023 as one the Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by Filipina Women’s Network. She believes in empowering students of diverse backgrounds through celebrating their cultural core values. Judge Zapanta is co-chair and co-founder of the youth project - Brown Faces to the Sun, which celebrates Filipinx-American core values through student workshops and music. She is also co-chair and co-founder of the California Judges Association’s Ethics & Wellness Workshops for first generation law students. Judge Zapanta sits on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion Task Force for the University of San Diego Alumni Board of Directors. She is also a Chief Editor of The Bench - the official journal of the California Judges Association where she regularly contributes a self-assessment column on identity and wellness.