Alumni Workshop Facilitators

Raymond Austin is a Staff Attorney at the Homeless Action Center in Oakland, CA. They provide public benefits advocacy for the homeless and mentally ill population in Alameda County. At UCSC, Raymond was a member of the Filipino Student Association and Engaging Education. He was also an organizer for the Practical Activism Conference and served two years as an officer in the Student Union Assembly. He was the Internal Vice-Chair for the first year and then Chair for the second. Raymond earned his B.A. in Sociology at UCSC and his J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law in Boston, MA.

Workshop- Attorneys on the front line: Alumni attorneys advocating for rights and justice

Isha Brown earned a B.A. in Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology in 2001 from UCSC.  Outside of science classes and labs, she was Co-Chair of A/BSA for two years, a member of Black Sistas United, N/SBE, and ACE. Through the MARC/MBRS program, Isha was a researcher in Dr. William Sullivan's laboratory where she served as a laboratory assistant after graduation.  Passionate about science, but not necessarily research, Isha knew a career in forensic science was what she wanted. Since 2005 she has worked as a Criminalist in the Biology Unit with the Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensic Services.

Workshop- Balancing it all: How to prioritize work, community, personal life

Niketa Calame-Harris is a Los Angeles native working as a project ambassador for the American Diabetes Association, creative director at IV I II Studios making IMPACT Documentary Film's, and an actress in numerous productions including  “The Color Purple,” which won a 2012 Ovation Award. She was also the voice of Young Nala in Disney's "The Lion King." Niketa earned her B.A. at UCSC and M.F.A. at The Actors Studio Drama School in New York. She was a Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program intern, co-chair of the Ethnic Student Organization Council and Black Sisters United, and an organizer for Destination Higher Education.

Workshop- Keep on pushing: How to create, lobby, and change federal, state, and city policies

Dre Coleman is currently a M.A. candidate at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) studying counseling psychology with a concentration in Drama Therapy. Originally from South Central LA he is working to find ways to use art as a form of healing. At UCSC he received his B.A. in Theatre Arts with a minor in Education while working as a bridge mentor with EOP, being a part of the leadership team for Rainbow Theatre and AATAT, and was a member of the BOD for engaging education (e²). Upon graduating Dre will be working towards MFT licensure.

Workshop- Artists in action: Cultural work as expression and career

Yenyen Cuison was born in the Bay Area where she created roots and values around a strong family and diverse community that empowered her to struggle alongside all types of people.  At UCSC she was a leader in the Filipino Student Association and engaging education (e²). After graduation she returned to be a SOAR Advisor then e² Organizing Director. Yenyen is a Program Manager at the Filipino Community Center in San Francisco, providing direct service for immigrant and working class communities. When she’s not at FCC, Yenyen engages in grassroots efforts to organize communities through local, national and international initiatives. 

Workshop: Balancing it all: How to prioritize work, community, personal life

Gen Fujioka is currently the Policy Director at Chinatown Community Development Center, a San Francisco non-profit organization that builds affordable housing and advocates for tenants rights.  Gen previously served as a housing and civil rights attorney and as a community organizer in the Bay Area and Washington DC.  He became involved in social justice issues while attending UCSC in the Seventies. He was one of the founders of the publication, TWANAS, and worked in a variety of movements on campus. Gen graduated from Oakes College with a BA in Politics and applies what he learned at Santa Cruz everyday.

Workshop- Winning Campaigns: Engaging in strategic planning and grassroots organizing

Adlemy Garcia grew up in Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico. At the age of 12, she immigrated to the U.S. and lived in Compton, the Mission district and other parts of California. Through her experiences she saw higher education as a way to gain knowledge to serve her communities. At UCSC, Adlemy was part of Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano/a de Aztlan and Engaging Education a student run and student led center. She received a B.A. in Feminist Studies with a concentration in law, politics and social change and psychology. Adlemy is currently a Community Organizer in Oakland, focusing on issues of housing justice.

Workshop- Winning Campaigns: Engaging in strategic planning and grassroots organizing

Eden Silva Jequinto received her J.D. and M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning at UCLA. Previously, Eden established Guerilla Theatre and Youth Leadership programs at EastSide Arts Alliance in Oakland. At UCSC, Eden earned a B.A. in American Studies while a member of the Filipino Student Association, Rainbow Theater, Third World and Native American Student Collective Press, KZSC, Ethnic Student Organization Council, Colors in Action, Student Union Assembly, and Educational Opportunity Program. Eden worked at the Eviction Defense Center in Oakland defending tenants and recently accepted a position at the Transgender Law Center to serve transgender and gender nonconforming immigrants.

Workshop- Attorneys on the front line: Alumni attorneys advocating for rights and justice

Jeremy Karafin is based out of New York City where he directs and produces theater. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the award-winning Poetic Theater Productions, the Marketing and Outreach Director for the Wild Project and an Associate Board member of the youth poetry organization Urban Word NYC. With Poetic Theater Productions, Jeremy has produced over 180 unique productions, special events, gallery shows, festivals and readings. At UCSC, Jeremy co-founded the Kinetic Poetics Project, led the Measure 13 campaign, and post graduation served as the Broadcast Adviser for SCTV and as the Assistant Director of Student Media.

Workshop- Artists in action: Cultural work as expression and career

Kalwis Lo serves as the Director of Policy and Advocacy at Scholarship America, representing the voice of the private sector in improving higher education opportunities for students in high need communities. Kalwis began his career in Washington by advocating for legislative and regulatory improvements in the federal student aid system. Kalwis was affiliated with Stevenson College, earning a B.A. in politics and a minor in education. Throughout his undergraduate career he was involved in campus organizations and served two years as student body president. He holds a life-long commitment to SOMeCA and Engaging Education.

Workshop- Keep on pushing: How to create, lobby, and change federal, state, and city policies

Dr. Belinda Lum works as an Assistant Professor of sociology in the Behavioral and Social Science Division at Sacramento City College. She is also a consultant that specializes community-based action research, strategic planning, consensus building, facilitation, and civic engagement. She earned her M.A and Ph.D. in sociology at the University of Southern California. At UCSC, she earned a B.A. in sociology, and was a member of the Third World and Native American Student Collective Press, the Chinese Student Association, and the Multicultural Festival Organizing Committee.

 Workshop- Reclaiming education: Creating new ways of learning in higher ed and high schools

Tash Nguyen is State Advocate at the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, where she works to amplify grassroots movements to end mass criminalization and incarceration. Tash brings her lived experience to her work, as a daughter of refugees, a young queer person funneled through zero tolerance policies, and family to formerly incarcerated loved ones. Tash owes much of her development to organizing at UCSC, as co-chair of the Student Environmental Center and fighting tuition hikes and UC privatization. Her dedication to resisting systems of domination is fueled by deep ties to her community and her vision of liberation.

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Paz Maya Olivérez is Associate Vice President of Student Success at CSU Dominguez Hills, where she leads student support programs including the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Encounter to Excellence (ETE), Summer Bridge, Dominguez Hills First-Year Experience, Career Center, Supplemental Instruction, and Toro Guardian Scholars & the Toro Dreamers Success Center. Dr. Olivérez holds an adjunct faculty position in CSUDH’s Masters in College Counseling and has served as a K-12 teacher, educational researcher, program evaluator, and teacher-educator for counselors, advisors, and other K-12 and higher education professionals. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from USC, an M.S. in Counseling from CSU Long Beach, and a B.A. in Sociology from UCSC.

Keynote Speaker

Terisa Siagatonu is an award winning poet, arts educator, community organizer, and mental health clinician. Her poetry has granted her opportunities to perform in places ranging from the UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris to the White House. A recipient of President Obama's Champions of Change Award for her activism as a poet/organizer in the Pacific Islander community, Terisa’s writing blends the personal with the political in a way that calls for healing, courage, justice, and truth. Her work has been featured on Button Poetry, CNN, NBCNews, NPR, Huffington Post, Everyday Feminism, The Guardian, BuzzFeed and Upworthy.

Poetry

Ken Songco is a Bay Area native, born and raised in San Francisco. He holds a Master of Public Administration from San Francisco State University and a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from UCSC, Oakes College. At UCSC, Ken was involved with the Filipino Student Association, Pilipino Cultural Celebration, Rainbow Theater, a founding member of the Ethnic Student Organizing Council (ESOC) and was the first Recruitment and Retention Intern with the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Internship Program (CUIP). He’s currently Director of Student Equity and Success at Mission College in Santa Clara, CA and was previously Director of Federal Student Services Grants.

 Workshop- Reclaiming education: Creating new ways of learning in higher ed and high schools

Straight outta Compton, CA, Cur’Nesha Wyatt attended UC Santa Cruz from 2009 through 2013. She received her bachelor’s degree from the Film and Digital Media Program. While attending UCSC, she participated in several student led organizations including Rainbow Theater, Rainbow TV and SCTV. Since graduating, she has gone on to work in Television on shows like ‘blackish’, “The Fosters,” and most recently “Feud: Bette & Joan.” She currently resides in Los Angeles continuing to work as a Production Assistant.

Workshop- Challenging post-fact media: Making new media and changing the narrative