Presenters

Jose Alvarez

José Álvarez (he/him/his) is a second year graduate student in the School Counseling Program at San Diego State University. He is from the Coachella Valley and previously attended the University of California, Los Angeles, where he graduated in 2020. He intends to be part of the positive change in his community.

Jasmine Arias

My name is Jasmine Arias (she/her) and I am an educator and school counselor. I am passionate about supporting students and their communities academically, social emotionally, and with their viable paths. I am here to challenge the status quo and reimagine what education can look like; to be equitable, inclusive, student-centered, empowering, collaborative, and uplifting.

Fabiola Beas

Fabiola Beas (she/her/ella) is a 2nd year graduate student in the San Diego State School Counseling Program. She is a SDICCCA Counseling intern at Mesa College and a School Counseling intern at El Cajon Valley High School. Being Latina and a first generation college student is what motivated her to pursue a degree in counseling so she could help students grow personally and help them achieve their academic/career goals through an equity minded lens.

Jamie Bermejo

Jamie Bermejo (she/her) is a first-generation college student and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Counseling and Social Change at San Diego State University in 2018. She is an aspiring school counselor and will be the first in her family to obtain a Master's degree. She has worked in the field of education for over 5 years and is passionate about supporting underserved students with their academic, social/emotional, and professional growth.

Jennifer Cole

Jen Cole (she/her) is a graduate student working on obtaining a Master's degree in School Counseling at San Diego State University. She previously graduated with a degree in Psychology and a Minor in Counseling and Social Change from SDSU as well. Through her work in education over the years, she has developed a passion to provide equitable services and support to all students.

Kimberly de la Mora

Kim De La Mora (she/her) is an aspiring school counselor who is dedicated to supporting students holistically. She is the first in her family to graduate from college and the first to receive her Master's degree. Kim is motivated to advocate for students and their communities.

Madison Dekker

Madison Dekker is in the School Counseling graduate program at SDSU, and received her undergraduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphasis in Counseling and School Psychology, Child Development, and Management. Through her experiences, she discovered her passion in working with students on finding success through equitable practices

Alan Garcia Zamora

My name is Alan Garcia Zamora. I grew up in San Ysidro, a community close to the border with Mexico. I graduated from San Ysidro High School and decided to attend San Diego City College. After three years, an Associate’s degree, a denied admission to SDSU and a Mental Health certification, I was finally accepted to SDSU. I graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology. My experience as a transfer student, and work as a Peer Advocate for first year students at city College, inspired me to become a school counselor and ultimately go back and serve my community.

Elizabeth Mendoza

Elizabeth Garibay (She/her/ella) is a school counseling graduate student at San Diego State University. She is from the North County Area and has worked as a case manager for survivors of Domestic Violence in the San Diego area. Her passion is connecting students and families to the community resources available.

Fatima Haghi

Fatima Haghi is a graduate student in the SDSU School Counseling program. Her experiences as a first-generation student and immigrant led her to pursue this path. As a future school counselor, Fatima is passionate about serving students in her community and advocating for equity and access for all students.

Ali Kiviat

I am a former teacher and future school counselor that is dedicated to providing all students the tools that are necessary for them to be successful both personally and academically. I am committed to analyzing data to identify achievement gaps and utilizing data-driven practices to close them.

Kimberly Kuizon

Kimberly Kuizon is currently a 2nd year graduate student in the San Diego State School Counseling Program. In the Fall of 2019, she graduated at SDSU with a B.S. Child & Family Development with a minor in Counseling and Social Change. As a determined individual, her passion lies in guiding students to see that they can accomplish anything if you believe in yourself and your journey to get there.

Marisol Magana

Marisol Magana (she/her) is a 2nd year student in the SDSU School Counseling program. She obtained her B.A. in Spanish and minor in Child Development from SDSU in 2014. For the past 10 years she has worked in education with a focus on helping educate and empower families. She is looking forward to continue this work as a future school counselor.

Allison Newlee

Allison Newlee (they/them) will be graduating with a Master’s in Counseling and PPS credential in May 2022 and has been working with K-12 and college age students for the last eight years. They are passionate about working with queer and transgender youth, teaching comprehensive and inclusive sexual health education, and advocating for K-12 student rights.

Jose Olvera

Jose’s research experience during his undergraduate and two masters’ programs has heavily focused on educational inequities within the K-12 school system. Jose is a product of the public schooling system in North County San Diego and has personally witnessed and experienced inequities during his middle school and high school experience. Coming from a first-generation household where he is the first one in his family to break institutional barriers and attain two master’s degrees, he is hoping to continue his research in a doctoral program. Jose would like to continue researching the many factors that contribute to educational inequities within certain student populations, and some of the possible solutions to better support the K-12 schooling system. Specifically, Jose would like to observe some of the contributing factors that place low-income and students of color at a disadvantage when it comes to test scores, college admissions, and overall academic achievement.

Kat Perez Avila

Kat is a relationship-centered, strengths-based and multilingual aspiring school counselor. She has ten years of experience as an educator and has been blessed to learn from working with Native American and Indigenous Youth in San Diego. Kat is originally from Colombia and is passionate about working with historically underserved communities.

Vania Silva

Vania Silva (she/her) is a professional dedicated to supporting students in their postsecondary exploration and planning. As a first-generation, Latinx, and queer academic, she is passionate about supporting and advocating for low-income, first generation, minority and LGBTQ+ students.

Ravonelle Yazzie

Ravonelle is Diné (Tábaahí), a member of the Navajo Nation tribe, of Steamboat, Arizona. She graduated from Dickinson College with a B.A. in Sociology and minored in Educational Studies. Ravonelle is a first-generation college student who is a strength-based, culturally-affirming, and bilingual (Diné/English) aspiring school counselor.

Page updated

Report abuse