Professional Staff
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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
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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
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She, Her, Hers
marbell@uci.edu
Marbell Gomez-Davidson
Administrative Assistant
marbell@uci.edu
Student Staff
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She, Her, Hers
Hi! I am a 4th-year student majoring in Psychological Science & Criminology! I joined SOAR because I want to help create a safe space on campus for underrepresented & marginalized communities by providing needed support, programs & resources.
Priscilla Martinez
Program Co-Director
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She/Her
Hello, my name is Farahnaz Hoque! I am one of the Program Co-Directors and it is my pleasure to work with SOAR towards my passion of creating a safer space for all the communities here at UCI. For my goal, it primarily lies with mental health and creating awareness and resources through my programs, that will be accessible for all and every fellow student here at UCI!
Farahnaz Hoque
Program Co-Director
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She/her/hers
Hello! I'm a 4th-year studying Public Health Sciences. I joined SOAR because I want to empower historically marginalized communities on campus to find their voices and help navigate the resources available to them. Outside of SOAR, I love to take naps and binge shows!
Khrisna Lei Madi
Affiliate Co-Chair
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She, Her, Hers
Hi! I’m a 3rd year Education Science student. I enjoy going to the beach with friends and trying different crepe places. I joined SOAR because I wanted to be part of a team that cares and helps communities that are underrepresented through their college journey.
Ashley Arellano
Affiliate Co-Chair
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She, Her, Hers
Hello! I am a 4th-year student majoring in Psychological Science and minoring in Japanese Studies. I hope to apply the knowledge and skills I gain from my academics to my communities. In my spare time, I enjoy watching anime, listening to music, playing basketball, trying new foods, and learning new things. I joined SOAR because I resonate with its core values and want to support students who may feel lost when navigating college.
Emi Yamasaki
Pathfinder Coordinator
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She, Her, Hers
Hi! I am a 3rd year Psychological Science and Chicano/Latino Studies double major! My goal is to become a social worker and help underserved communities find their voice and their passions! I joined SOAR because I want to engage with and support students that need an ear to listen or that need someone to help navigate through college!
Andrea Serrano
Pathfinder Coordinator
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She, Her, Hers
Hi! I’m Caitlyn, a 2nd-year double majoring in Business Economics and International Studies. One of the reasons why I joined SOAR is because I wanted to learn more about the UCI community and discover the ways in which I can be a better part of it and contribute to helping other students in their college journey. Outside of SOAR, I love doing adventurous activities like going on hikes, amusement parks, concerts and more!
Caitlyn Danao
Pathfinder Peer Educator
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She, Her, Hers
Welcome! My name is Diane Vu and I am a 3rd-year first-gen college student double majoring in Earth System Science and Environmental Science & Policy. I enjoy crochet, practicing martial arts, and playing video games in my free time. As part of the SOAR community, I am always ready to lend a listening ear to support other first-gen students in their transition to college life at UCI and help them thrive!
Diane Vu
Pathfinder Peer Educator
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She, Her, Hers
Hello! My name is Faith and I am a fourth year student studying Social Policy and Public Service. When I'm not at UCI I like to cook, hiking, traveling (especially National Parks), and spending time with my kiddos and hubby. In my time at SOAR I hope to serve students in forging their own pathways in higher education.
Faith Couts
Pathfinder Peer Educator
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She, Her, Hers
Hi! My name is Jasmine Ta! I'm a 4th-year student studying Biology and Medical Humanities. When I'm not at SOAR, I like to spend my time drawing, watching anime, reading, playing games with friends, crocheting, and causing chaos during my Dungeons and Dragons weekly sessions. I joined SOAR in hopes to help all students overcome challenges and encouraging others to pursue their passions.
Jasmine Ta
Pathfinder Peer Educator
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She, Her, Hers
Hi there! My name is Kayla and I'm a 4th year student studying psychology and sociology with a minor in African American studies. Outside of SOAR, my interests include reading, roller-skating and discovering new music. As a Pathfinder Peer Educator, I'm very excited to advocate for others and help create a safe space for students.
Kayla Atkinson
Pathfinder Peer Educator
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She, Her, Hers
Hello! My name is Shirley and I am a 4th-year Psychological Science and Education Science double major interested in the field of counseling. I enjoy visiting aquariums, museums, and coffee shops! As a Peer Educator in SOAR, I am excited to support various communities on campus by sharing resources and opportunities, as well as my own experiences.
Shirley Wu
Pathfinder Peer Educator
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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
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She, Her, Hers
Hi! My name is Kennedi and I am a fourth year Psychological Science Major with a minor in Criminology. I am so excited to be working with Umoja x SOAR to build an enriching experience for Black transfer students at UCI. I enjoy going to concerts/festivals, painting, gaming, and finding new places to explore. If you ever want to catch some sun with me don’t be afraid to reach out!
Kennedi Blackman
Umoja Peer Pathfinder Educator
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He, Him
Hello my name is JC! I am a 3rd year Education Sciences major with a minor in Hearing and Speech Sciences. I enjoy cooking, discovering new music, and watching/playing soccer. This will be my first time working with SOAR as a SOAR Fellow and I’m very excited to work exclusively alongside the IRF Program. Knowing I get to engage and help foster our underprivileged communities is something that I am grateful to do as a SOAR Fellow, and I will do anything to continue supporting these communities.
JC Perez
SOAR Fellow
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She, Her, Hers
Hi! My name is Reina! I am a 5th year double majoring in Environmental Science & Policy, and Anthropology. In my free time I enjoy cooking, gardening, reading, painting/drawing, and trying new food spots. I’m very excited to be returning as a SOAR Fellow because I get to work at a center whose values I love and admire. In the future, I hope to continue doing work that impacts underrepresented communities.
Reina Rivera
SOAR Fellow
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They, Them
Hi, my name is Jo Lacangan and I am an art/art history major with a digiart minor. I love all things MCU, tacos, MBTI, astrology, and rom-coms. I joined SOAR because I know how important it is for students to feel welcome and supported throughout their educational journey.
Jo Lacangan
Videographer & Website Coordinator
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He, Him
Hello! I'm a 2nd year Business Administration major, Digital Information System minor. Outside of SOAR, I like spending my free time drawing and trying good food spots. I joined SOAR because I felt it was a good opportunity to use my skills for meaningful work.
Joseph Tom
Social Media & Marketing Coordinator
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She, Her, Hers
Hi! My name is Sasha and I’m a 3rd year studying psychology, education, and business through my major and minors. I joined SOAR because I love the idea of being able to use marketing to help keep all types of students on our campus engaged and involved.
Sasha Tesoro
Social Media & Marketing Coordinator
Student Interns
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She, Her, Hers
Hello! I'm a first-year majoring in Mathematics. During my free time, I like practicing my Zapoteco, one of the many indigenous languages in Oaxaca. Knowing that SOAR is led by students for students, especially historically marginalized students is what made me join. While growing with SOAR, I hope to help students obtain the necessary resources and find a space where they feel welcomed.
Luz Hernandez
Program Intern
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She, Her, Hers
Hi! My name is Jacqueline and I am currently a third year double majoring in Education Sciences and Social Policy and Public Services. I joined SOAR to have the opportunity to be a part of a team truly dedicated to helping underrepresented students at UCI. Outside of school, I love spending time with my nieces and nephews and drinking coffee.
Jacqueline Barvarin-Robles
Program Intern
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She, Her, Hers
Hello! My name is Abigail Aguirre. I am a 4th-year Psychology major, and I am super excited to be one of SOAR’s new Interns! I applied to be an Intern here at the SOAR Center because I wanted to work with people who love giving back. Whether it be helping to create a safe place for other students to feel comfortable studying at, grab a quick snack, or destress during one of our SOARing through Finals activities, I wanted to find a place that would allow me to give back, and the SOAR Center is where I found just that. When I am not in the SOAR Center or studying on campus, I do like to take some time to bake every now and then,binge-watch Netflix or Disney+, and catch up with friends and family. Another little fun fact about me is that I need my iced coffee to function, so you will almost always see me with a cup of iced coffee to help me get through the day.
Abigail Aguirre
Program Intern
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He, Him, His
Hello! I'm Preston and I'm a third-year Social Policy & Public Service major with a minor in Urban Planning. I chose to apply to be a field study intern here at the SOAR center because I wanted to learn more about the issues that my fellow students are struggling with on their path to obtaining their degrees. In the end, I hope to be apart of positive changes here on campus.
Preston Wong
Field Study Intern
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She, Her, Hers
My name is Crystal Cuevas and I am a fourth year. I am double majoring in Sociology and Social Policy and Public Service. I enjoy being out in the fresh air and going on new adventures with my family or friends! I’m a big Harry Styles fan and enjoy listening to all sorts of music. I wanted to join SOAR to give back to the UCI community and make a difference for underrepresented groups.
Crystal Cuevas
Field Study Intern
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She, Her, Hers
My name is Jessye and I am a 4th year majoring in psychological science. I joined SOAR because I want to contribute to a space made with supporting students from marginalized communities in mind. I see SOAR as an indispensable resource that every student can benefit from to make the most of their time here. In my free time, I enjoy playing video games, reading by the beach, and painting with my friends.
Jessye Bautista
Field Study Intern