Sydne Raiyn joins UC Santa Cruz as Associate Director of Athletics and Recreation for Internal Operations, Community Engagement, and Development. Prior to coming to Santa Cruz, Sydne worked in athletic recruiting at NCSA (Next College Student Athlete). Initially as a Recruiting Coordinator, Sydne focused on identifying talent and pre-qualified college-bound prospects based on NCAA academic and athletic requirements in effort to help college coaches build a pipeline of certified student-athletes. After a year and a half, she transitioned from the recruiting force to the Member Support department where she managed all forms of financial inquiries from current members, in addition to managing all forms of escalations, with the primary goal of resolving pertinent issues and concerns. Previous to NCSA, Sydne served as a Sales Associate for both the Philadelphia 76ers and former St. Louis Rams. In her role at the Sixers, she created, developed, and planned a group event titled ‘Ally Awareness Night’ dedicated to allies of the LGBTQ community to celebrate and recognize their efforts in building alliances across gender identity lines. Sydne graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Management from the University of Michigan, where she also served as a Team Manager for the Women’s Field Hockey, Men’s Lacrosse, and Women’s Basketball teams between 2009-2013. A native of St. Louis, MO, Sydne is an avid Cardinals and Blues fan. In her free time, she enjoys running by the beach, weight-lifting, traveling, attending sports events, and spending quality time with family and friends. Sydne currently lives in San Jose with her husband, Alex.

Bridge Kennedy (they/them) is our Career Engagement Specialist for Diversity & Equity in UCSC's Career Success department. They're an alumni of UCSC, having graduated from Stevenson College with B.A.'s in Sociology and Legal Studies. Before this role, Bridge was involved in Kresge and Stevenson college programs, worked as an orientation leader for both colleges, and spent 2 years as an intern with the Cantú Queer Resource Center. Their involvement as a student here at UCSC sparked their passion for supporting student success, particularly uplifting marginalized and historically underserved student populations. Bridge holds a strong commitment to students at UCSC, and is dedicated to fostering accessibility, support, and belonging in their role. They currently offer 1:1 virtual and in-person appointments through Handshake, where you can chat with them about career exploration, resume and cover letter building, and get help accessing career related resources. Bridge welcomes collaboration in their new role, and hopes to see some of you in their appointments and future event collaborations with the Resource Centers, EOP, and STARS.

Hello! I am Lexie and I serve as the Assistant Director of Learning Support Services. I grew up in Sacramento, CA and come from a low-income background, was a STARS student, and was the first to attend college in my family. On campus, you can find me working with undergraduate tutors and teaching the tutor pedagogy course, working closely with faculty in your courses, and partnering with other campus resources that care about student success. Outside of work, I like to spend time with my partner and our two cats, Gnocchi and Enzo, watch American football and participate in fantasy football, and I love to read fiction, fantasy, and education research and critical pedagogy. Connect with me to learn more about peer learning, to collaborate on student success initiatives, or if you want to see pictures of my cats!

Since completing her first semester abroad in Spain during high school, study abroad has been an important part of Jenna's life. Jenna focuses on bringing elements of wellness and inclusivity to all aspects of the study abroad process so that students can show up authentically to navigate international education spaces with ease. Jenna holds a BA in Global Studies from Sonoma State University and an MA in International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. During her higher education journey, Jenna studied for a year in Chile, interned for a semester in Spain, and completed the multi-destination program Semester at Sea. Jenna is a lifelong learner and appreciates the deep reflection that is possible when engaged in intercultural experiences. 

Sara Sanchez (she/her/ellla) spearheads the efforts for the UCSC HSI grant: GANAS Graduate Pathways. GANAS Graduate intends to overcome institutional barriers that impede Latinx and underrepresented student’s path and completion of graduate studies. Sara has over a decade of knowledge pertaining to student affairs, advising, project management, student outreach and advocacy, all for primarily underrepresented student populations. Sara holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and Spanish from CSU, Long Beach, and Master of Arts in Educational Administration - Student Affairs from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. When not on campus Sara enjoys spending time with loved ones, traveling, and having new experiences near and far.

Domingo Canizales is the Undergraduate Advisor and Administrator to the Center for Racial Justice. He is a a Chicanx writer and educator from Nuevo, CA. He earned his BA in Literature from UCSC and his MFA in Writing and Poetics from The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University. Prior to joining the CRES team, Domingo taught various subjects as a public-school teacher in Portland, OR where he prioritized working with diverse communities in underrepresented areas. Domingo is currently working on a book length creative project centered on his father’s experiences within the prison industrial complex.

I currently serve as Director of the Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) Initiatives. I have worked in higher education at UC Santa Cruz for over 23 years. I am an alumni receiving bachelor degrees in Chemistry and Psychobiology. I am also a mom of two students who are currently in college. I like to hike, puzzle and I am passionate about serving our students and educational justice.