Aceben (He/Him) is a Bay Area native who grew up in Santa Clara. After high school, he attended community college at De Anza. During his two years at Community College, he experienced many career changes and uncertainty. Supported and inspired by his college counselor, Aceben developed a passion for helping others and set his path to follow in his counselor's footsteps in becoming a Community College Counselor. After his two years, he transferred to UC Irvine in pursuit of accumulating work experience and a Bachelor's in Sociology. During his time at UCI, Aceben gained professional...
Diana (she/her) is an East Bay native, raised in Pittsburg. She attended Los Medanos College before transferring to UC Berkeley where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Chicanx Latinx Studies. She worked at EOPS at Los Medanos as a Student Ambassador, helping underrepresented students receive the services that EOPS provides. At UC Berkeley, Diana worked at EOP as a Peer Academic Counselor in order to help fellow students with topics such as academic planning, financial aid, and campus life. After graduation, she became a DCAC/EAOP college advisor to help high school students feel...
Elise Luna (she/her) is a proud first-generation college graduate from Oakland, CA. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Child and Adolescent Development from San Francisco State University, with a focus on Community Health and Social Services. Elise’s early career has centered around educational programs for youth, most recently serving as a Program Coordinator at BRIDGEGOOD, a nonprofit design studio focused on social impact. Her professional journey displays a commitment to equity and supporting students from K– 12 through college. With a passion for student-centered programming and...
Elizabeth (she/her/ella) is a proud first-generation Latina from a Central Valley farmworking community. She attended Bakersfield College before transferring to UC Berkeley, where she double majored in History and Ethnic Studies. During her time in undergrad, she was a part of NAVCAL, the Miller Scholars Program, and the College Admissions Mentorship Program (CAMP), where she dedicated her time to mentoring first-generation and transfer students through the college transition. After graduation, she decided to become a college adviser with DCAC/EAOP because she grew up in an undocumented...
College Adviser - Aspire Lionel Wilson College Preparatory Academy
Peñaloza (she/her/ella) is from the Bay Area, born and raised in Deep East Oakland. She attended UC Berkeley, where she pursued a degree in Spanish & Portuguese with a concentration in Hispanic Languages, Linguistics & Bilingualism. During her time as an undergraduate, she worked for three years as a college and career success adviser for East Bay Consortium at two East Oakland schools: her alma mater, Madison Park Academy, and Castlemont High School. She provided one-on-one college advising services that helped students thrive with the post-secondary plans of their own choosing....
Fabiel (he/him) is from Southern California and was born and raised in Fontana in the Inland Empire. He attended the University of California, Irvine, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Education Sciences with minors in Spanish/English Bilingual Education and Psychological Sciences. During his undergraduate years, Fabiel developed a strong passion for supporting students who aspire to pursue higher education and those currently navigating it. He gained valuable experience working with college access and outreach programs at the UC Irvine Center for Educational Partnerships, including...
Fatima (she/her/ella) was born in Mexico City, Mexico and raised in Moreno Valley, CA. She attended UC Berkeley where she triple majored in Political Science, Spanish & Portuguese, and Educational Sciences. During her time in undergrad, she was a part of the Undocumented Student Program, where she served as the Lead Outreach & Retention Intern. The program focused on ensuring that opportunity and support were available to undocumented students on the Berkeley campus. Additionally, Fatima worked with DCAC/EAOP throughout her undergrad and was a part of the Academic Programs Team....
Fanta (she/her), grew up in Oakley, CA, and attended Freedom High School. She received her Bachelor's in Public Health from UC Berkeley. During her time in undergrad, she was apart of the Black Recruitment and Retention Center, supporting first generation, low income Black students to pursue higher education. She became a DCAC/EAOP adviser to give back to the program which supported her in high school, and to continue her work of empowering students to reach their goals.
Helen (She/Her) is an Ethiopian American, born in Addis Ababa and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a first- generation college graduate from UCLA, where she majored in Sociology. At UCLA, she was a member of the East African Student Association and served as Executive Chair for AfroGrad, an annual program committee within UCLA's Afrikan Student Union. In this role, she spearheaded the All Afrikan People's Graduation Ceremony, which celebrates Black graduating students' achievements, promotes retention, and unites the extended UCLA community and families. After graduation, she...
Jaszwan Veal (she/her) is a proud Richmond, California native by way of Atlanta, GA. She earned her B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Biology from Howard University. During her time at ‘The Mecca’, Jaszwan was actively involved in academic advising, peer counseling, and student teaching within early childhood education on campus. With a strong background in education equity and a passion for student advocacy, Jaszwan decided to become a college adviser to help guide students through the complexities of reaching higher education. Inspired by her own experience navigating college as a first...
