Rebecca
Varga

Rebecca’s connection to Syracuse’s Northside is personal.

When her parents moved from Syracuse’s Westside to the Northside in 1988, they made their home here and raised Rebecca in this community. She has seen the Northside change over the years and understands the importance of having local leaders who listen to residents, recognize the strengths of the community, and work to create opportunities for its future. Her parents raised her with the values that have guided her ever since: faith, family, hard work, and looking out for your neighbors.

Today, the Northside is home to families with roots in many different countries and cultures. Rebecca believes that diversity is a strength and that every resident—whether their family has lived here for generations or they are building a new life in Syracuse—should have the opportunity to succeed. Many of those families came here for the same reasons generations of Northside families did before them: to work hard, practice their faith, and give their children a better life.

Rebecca earned her bachelor’s degree in Broadcasting and Mass Media and began her professional career in television production in 2012. After graduating, she discovered that opportunities in her field were limited in Syracuse, and she ultimately moved to Los Angeles to pursue the career she had trained for.

There, she spent eight years working in reality television production. Her work required coordinating people, resources, schedules, and complicated projects, often under demanding circumstances. She gained experience across many areas of production.

After returning to Syracuse, Rebecca continued building her skills through workforce training, gaining hands-on experience in areas including basic carpentry, sewing, lighting, and sound, as well as training and certifications on specialized equipment used in film and television.

Her experience—both building a career away from home and continuing to develop practical skills after returning—taught Rebecca the value of having accessible pathways to meaningful work and the difference it can make when people are given the opportunity to learn new skills—and the pride and independence that come from earning your own way.

It also gave her a perspective she carries with her today: young people should not have to leave the community they call home simply because they cannot find meaningful career opportunities there.

One of the projects that had a particularly meaningful impact on Rebecca was BYUtv’s The Fixers, which she worked on the first two seasons.

The program brought skilled tradespeople and volunteers into communities around the world to develop practical, sustainable solutions to local needs. Projects included helping provide clean water by digging a well in Nicaragua, creating a horse therapy ranch for children with special needs in Bulgaria, and developing a sustainable source of protein for children in the mountains of Thailand.

What stayed with Rebecca was the approach: before solving a problem, you have to understand the people and community you are trying to help.

The projects were designed not simply to provide temporary assistance, but to create solutions and develop resources that could continue to benefit communities long after the project was completed. It is an approach Rebecca believes in deeply: the best help is a hand up, not a handout—giving people the tools to stand on their own.

Working on these projects also gave Rebecca an appreciation for the many different cultures and experiences that shape communities. It reinforced her belief that while communities may have very different circumstances, people everywhere want the opportunity to build stable, productive lives for themselves and their families.

That perspective is especially meaningful to Rebecca as she works to serve a Northside community that is home to people from many different backgrounds and countries.

Rebecca’s commitment to service began long before her professional career or her decision to run for office.

As a child, she joined her family in gathering and wrapping Christmas gifts for families in need. Throughout her school years, she volunteered at parish fish fries and summer festivals and tutored children who were struggling with their schoolwork.

While living in Los Angeles, Rebecca continued to volunteer, including preparing and distributing sandwiches to people experiencing homelessness on Skid Row.

After returning to Syracuse, Rebecca continued giving her time to her community. She has worked with a young adult group preparing sandwiches for men staying at a local shelter, volunteered with summer programs for children, and helped at a local food pantry serving families in the community, including New Americans. She also continues to volunteer at her parish, including helping care for the church altar.

For Rebecca, service is not something that began with a campaign. It has been part of her life from an early age. It has also shown her that some of the most effective help comes not from government, but from families, churches, and neighbors who step up for one another. County government should support and work alongside them, not try to replace them.

After eight years in Los Angeles, Rebecca returned to Central New York with a renewed appreciation for the community she calls home.

Her own experience taught her something she does not want young people in Central New York to take for granted: they should have the opportunity to build a career here if they choose to.

Rebecca wants to expand pathways that connect residents with good-paying careers and the practical skills employers need. She believes workforce development should bring together unions, businesses, educational institutions, and community organizations to help residents gain skills, enter the trades, and build careers that can provide a future for themselves and their families.

She also believes those opportunities can eventually help residents become entrepreneurs and build businesses of their own—and that county government should make that easier by cutting unnecessary red tape and keeping taxes in check so small businesses can grow and create jobs here.

Rebecca wants to build on Central New York’s growing opportunities in film and television production as well. Her own experience showed her how many different skills and trades are involved in bringing a production to life. She believes targeted, accountable incentives—ones that deliver real local jobs and a fair return for taxpayers—can help attract productions to the region while creating opportunities for local residents to gain experience and find work.