Professional Staff
(Hover over the images to learn more)
-
She, Her, Hers
Paulina has dedicated her life to advocating for college access and retention efforts that ensure students succeed in our K-14 educational system.
Paulina Raygoza
Director
praygoza@uci.edu
-
He, Him, His
Joey is dedicated to serving students through a holistic approach and advocating for social justice education for historically marginalized communities
Jose 'Joey' Leon
Assistant Director
leonja4@uci.edu
-
She, Her, Hers
marbell@uci.edu
Marbell Gomez-Davidson
Administrative Assistant
marbell@uci.edu
Student Staff
(Hover over the images to learn more)
-
She, Her, Hers
Christina is a 5th-year majoring in English and Spanish with a minor in Education. She is a first-generation college student interested in nonprofit work as well as library science who joined SOAR because of its emphasis on student empowerment and student agency. Some of her hobbies include reading, gardening, crafting, and listening to or playing music.
Christina Acevedo
Program Co-Director
-
He, Him, His
Akib Rahman is a 1st gen immigrant who is majoring in International studies and Political Science. He hopes to obtain a job in the United Nations and travel the world with a goal of helping the underrepresented. He joined SOAR to help first generation students like himself by guiding them through the ups and downs of college life.
Akib Rahman
Program Co-Director
-
She, Her, Hers
Valentina is a third-year double majoring in Political Science and Language Science with special interests in neurodivergence, and raciolinguistics. Other than academia, she enjoys the outdoors, watching anime, and listening to nu metal music. As this year’s Pathfinder Coordinator, Valentina hope you all can visit our amazing Pathfinder Program!
Valentina Toledano
Pathfinder Coordinator
-
She, Her, Hers
Melanie is a 4th-year student majoring in Public Health Policy and minoring in Psychological Sciences. She enjoys expanding her music library, hiking, crafting, and picnics at the park. She hopes to support students in overcoming their struggles and grow into their best selves here at UCI.
Melanie Enriquez
Pathfinder Coordinator
-
She, Her, Hers
She is currently a 4th Year student at UCI. She transferred in Fall of 2020 and is majoring in Anthropology. Her interests include a deep passion for gaming and really anything related to it. She is looking forward to serving fellow Umoja students transitioning to the university. She plans to establish a space at SOAR for Black/African American UCI students to feel connected to the university.
Nyah E. Beck
Umoja Peer Pathfinder Educator
-
Kevin is a 4th year studying psychology. As an Affiliate Co-Chair, he will be collaborating with and supporting registered campus organizations and empowering marginalized communities at UCI. During his free time, he enjoys running, painting, and listening to music.
Kevin Kobe Serrano
Affiliate Co-Chair
-
She, Her, Hers
Camille is a fifth year studying sociology, political science, and Black feminism. She enjoys gardening, reading, and attending concerts in her free time. As a SOAR affiliate co-chair, she is here to support marginalized people at UCI.
Camille Edwards
Affiliate Co-Chair
-
TBA
-
She, Her, Hers
Tahis is a fourth year majoring in Film + Media Studies and Anthropology. She is also minoring in archeology. Her interest in Anthropology is due to her wanting to create documentaries on civilizations and culture. She aspires to work with the Discovery Channel and bring stories to the screens.
Tahis Alcantar
Videographer & Website Coordinator
-
She, Her, Hers
Anusha is a 4th year majoring in Business Administration and Psychological Science. She joined SOAR because she wants to support marginalized students and connect them to valuable campus resources. Her interests include cooking, r&b music, sitcoms, and making Pinterest boards.
Anusha Nayani
Social Media & Marketing Coordinator
-
She, Her, Hers
Kathryn is a 2nd year Biological Sciences Major and Medical Anthropology Minor. In her free time, she enjoys doing photography, cooking/baking, volunteering, and going on adventures. She joined the SOAR team because she believes that all college students should have the ability to navigate and access resources to help with their college journey.
Kathryn Wu
Social Media & Marketing Coordinator