College and Career Leadership
Conference 2023

Christina grew up in San Jose, CA and attended Harker Academy (grades 3-8; now known as The Harker School) and Presentation High School (9012) on academic- and need-based scholarships.  She then went on to Tufts University where she earned a B.A. in Political Science with thesis honors, followed by a Master in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Juris Doctor from Northwester University.  Prior to joining PCF, Christina served as Deputy Director at Escuela Popular, a K-12 charter school in East San Jose that services a predominantly Latino student populations, many of whom are recent immigrants.

For nearly nine years, she spearheaded Escuela Popular’s operations – strategy, HR, compliance, legal, finance, and board relations.  Christina entered the charter school landscape through EdTec, a mission-driven for-profit company providing back-office services to charter schools throughout the United States.  Christina began her career over 20 years ago as an attorney with Crowell & Moring, a Washington, D.C. law firm.  She is currently on the Board of Directors of Oxford Day Academy, a charter school in East Palo Alto.  Given her personal story, Christina is passionate about serving low-income students of color who need just a little extra support to realize their dreams.  In her spare time, she enjoys traveling for pleasure and spending time with her three children and her husband.

Sarahi Espinoza is the Founder and CEO of DREAMers Roadmap, a mobile app platform that helps undocumented students across the country navigate the necessary resources to access higher education. Sarahi was a Champion of Change at the White House in 2014, has received 2 House of Representatives Awards, was named in Forbes 30 of 2016 and also was on the 100 most powerful women in Forbes Mexico 2017. Additionally, she was the winner of the $500,000 2015 Voto Latino Innovators Challenge. A former undocumented student who once had to drop out of school to support her family, Sarahi's personal experience informs her unwavering vision: to help hundreds of thousands of students eliminate the barriers to success and achieve their full potential. 

Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca is the Founder and CEO of DREAMers Roadmap, a mobile app platform that helps undocumented students navigate the necessary resources to access higher education. Sarahi is an activist for the undocumented community, which has placed her in the spotlight of conversations centered on national immigration policy.

Sarahi Espinoza Salamanca is a White House Champion of Change recipient (2014), has received 5 House of Representatives Awards, and was named in Forbes 30 under 30 in 2016. A former undocumented student who once had to drop out of school to support her

family, Sarahi’s personal experience informs her unwavering vision: to help hundreds of thousands of students eliminate educational barriers to success and achieve their full potential. 

In 2020 Sarahi directed a campaign to serve minorities. #FirstOfTheMonth where she and two other local organizations came together and raised 2.4 million dollars to help the most vulnerable of our neighbors of color who were impacted by Covid-19.  

In May 2022 Sarahi joined The Sobrato Family Foundation as the Senior Program and Strategy Advisor where she leads all community engagement and plays a key role in advising the Silicon Valley's newly approved 10-year strategy centering Community Voice and Lived Experience. 

Sarahi is currently a full-time student at Santa Clara University where she is getting a major in Ethnic Studies and a minor in Sociology. Sarahi is set to graduate in June 2024 after graduating from High school 15 years ago. She will pursue her Doctorate Degree right after as she hopes her research can one day influence policy in making higher education more equitable for all. 

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahi-espinoza-salamanca-30ab6676/

Abigail Avila is passionate about giving back to her community by being an advocate for low-income first-generation students who have limited or no access to resources. She is a strong believer that higher education has the ability to open doors and uplift historically underserved communities. Prior to working at The Peninsula College Fund, Abigail worked for the Office of Admissions at UC Santa Cruz. In this role, she worked with high school students and community college students from diverse backgrounds to share her knowledge about higher education to promote accessibility to higher education. Abigail was born in Mexico and migrated to the U.S at the age of 5 years old. She was raised in Redwood City and attended Sequoia High School. Abigail grew up low income, undocumented, and raised by a hardworking single mother of two. Her mother always emphasized the importance of higher education, which influenced Abigail to achieve her goal of becoming the first in her family to attend and graduate from a four-year university. As a PCF alumni she had PCF to guide and support her through college. She graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz in 2020 with a B.S. in Human Biology. As a Latina in STEM who was formerly undocumented, she is very proud to have been able to graduate college debt free. In her off hours, Abigail enjoys traveling to Disneyland and Universal Studios with her family, watching basketball and football, and chasing down her 2 amazing kids.

Lupe Vazquez is greatly passionate and invested in supporting, and advocating for communities who come from a low-income, first generation, and undocumented background. She is committed to helping youth reach their full academic and personal potential while remaining their authentic selves. Previous to working at The Peninsula College Fund, Lupe obtained her B.A in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies in 2022 from the University of California, Merced. During her time at UC Merced she worked for The Success Mentor Program where she mentored first generation students by providing campus resources and social support to help them navigate their first year. She also conducted research through her school's Undergraduate Research in Humanities program. The project focused on humanizing undocumented youth’s experience through storytelling and uplifting their lived experiences. Lupe was born in Mexico and migrated to the U.S at the age of 5 years old. She was raised in Mountain View and attended Mountain View High School. In her free time, she enjoys listening to a good podcast, finding new music, and spending time with her partner and their dog Spots.

Chloriza Avila was born and raised in Lathrop, CA. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and double minor in Ethnic Studies and Education from UC Davis. While at UC Davis she worked with BRIDGE: Pilipinx Outreach and Retention as a Community Youth Development coordinator. In this role, she worked with and created curriculum for first-generation, low-income, and historically underserved youth to promote cultural awareness and accessibility to higher education. Chloriza has always had passion for working with students and is excited to support PCF scholars in embracing their unique identities and seeing themselves as vessels of change. In her future, she hopes to continue to bridge the opportunity gap and support marginalized youth and families in their personal and professional endeavors.

Chloriza also enjoys conversations about mental health and social justice. When she isn’t working, you can find her trying new food places, de-stressing at the gym, or traveling

Vanessa is a California native and graduate from University of California, Santa Barbara where she earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Biology. After spending time several years after college working for the HEAL Initiative, she decided to start a new journey with the Peninsula College Fund. Vanessa is passionate about closing the opportunity gap in higher education and is a dedicated advocate for first generation college students. In her free time, she enjoys being with her family and spending time in the community supporting local small businesses.

Samantha Wenzel is a Bay Area native, raised in the North Bay. For 12 years she has worked with Bay Area students as a mentor, coach, and teacher. Samantha graduated from Santa Clara University with a BA in Communication in 2016. Her maternal family settled in San José when they first arrived in the U.S. from Mexico, and she is committed to serving the community in which her roots are planted. Her passion around education system reform has led her to dedicate her career to serving organizations that provide the necessary support needed for underserved students to succeed in a system that was not created for them to thrive in. With her experience in working with first-generation students in both the high school and college setting, she aims to utilize her role as Career Services Program Coordinator to support PCF scholars in their pursuit of a career aligned with their dreams and sense of purpose.

Eduardo was born in Redwood City, CA but moved to Hayward, CA when he was five years old. Being a Hayward Made student, Eduardo completed his entire education in Hayward. Eduardo obtained his AA in Communication Studies from Chabot College in the Spring of 2017 and recently graduated from California State University, East Bay with his BA in Ethnic Studies with a concentration in Latinx and Chicanx Studies. During his educational journey, Eduardo worked with the TRIO Educational Talent Search Program at Chabot College and Hayward Promise Neighborhood at CSU East Bay as a Program Facilitator and Promise Intern. In these roles, he focused on being a mentor for first-generation, low-income, and multiracial students and families. His passion is to continue working with students and families from around his community. In his free time, Eduardo enjoys adventurous car rides and getting lost on the road with good music playing.

Marinez has a passion for helping underserved communities by providing resources, creating connections, delivering support, and engaging in advocacy. Marinez is committed to helping others receive the adequate education, skills, knowledge, and support necessary to thrive in today’s economy.

Previous to working at The Peninsula College Fund, Marinez served as an Operations and Policy Coordinator at CA EDGE Coalition, where she supported the organization in advancing its mission through advocacy work focused on workforce development and higher education issues. Prior to EDGE, Marinez worked with students at the Dreamer Resource Center at California State University, Sacramento. As a Program Assistant, she provided resources to students of undocumented and mixed-status backgrounds as she helped them pursue their goals in higher education.

Marinez is also highly engaged within her community in the Bay Area. Marinez has become a strong advocate for Latinos in Silicon Valley through her involvement with the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley and the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. Marinez also serves as a board member for Catalino Tapia Scholarship Foundation as well as MetroED Foundation.

Marinez is a proud daughter of immigrants and values her Mexican heritage. Born and raised in the Central Valley, she experienced the various financial and educational barriers others in her community face. Today, she is driven to give back to her community by increasing access to high-quality education and opportunities to thrive in the economy.

Marinez received her BA in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Public Relations at California State University, Sacramento.

Denise Villamil joined PCF after 20 years in program design/evaluation, relationship building, and management development within the corporate and non-profit sectors. She has held numerous executive roles in her career in both the technology and biotech sectors. She has also been an accomplished entrepreneur of two successful start-up companies. Throughout Denise's career, she has had the opportunity to mentor young professionals both in the US and abroad in the area of professional development. As one of the first in her family to go to college, she understands the impact that higher education and career-readiness has on employment opportunities. Denise was drawn to the PCF mission because of her passion for changing the equality of equity challenges that restrict underserved communities from securing meaningful careers. As such, she was excited to join the PCF team to start a new department within the organization focused on providing robust career advisory services and training programs that address the unique workforce readiness needs that first-generation college students face in today’s marketplace.

Denise graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Business Management from National University. As a native Californian and sports enthusiast she enjoys being in an area where she has local access to the coast and the mountains. In her off hours, Denise can be found spending time with family and friends, traveling, skiing, and giving back to the community through volunteering her time, treasure and talents to various non-profit organizations.

Irene Castillón was the founding academic dean of Luis Valdez Leadership in San José, CA and is currently an assistant principal and a history teacher at Cristo Rey San José Jesuit High School. Irene seeks to build structures and programs that affirm students by fostering teaching and learning that is liberatory and that intentionally disrupts systems of oppression.

Irene was the inaugural recipient of the Early Career Alumni Excellence in Education recognition, awarded by the Stanford Graduate School of Education. She has also been recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as part of the #LatinosTeach campaign. In addition, as a Heinemann fellow she researched the experiences of first-generation, Latinx college students navigating the 4-year college setting and published her findings through Heinemann.

Irene is currently a doctoral student in the Department of Leadership Studies at the University of San Francisco. With her leadership and teaching largely influenced by her own experiences, Irene is committed to being a life-long learner that hopes to make a multigenerational impact through education.

Lupe Vazquez is greatly passionate and invested in supporting, and advocating for communities who come from a low-income, first generation, and undocumented background. She is committed to helping youth reach their full academic and personal potential while remaining their authentic selves. Previous to working at The Peninsula College Fund, Lupe obtained her B.A in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies in 2022 from the University of California, Merced. During her time at UC Merced she worked for The Success Mentor Program where she mentored first generation students by providing campus resources and social support to help them navigate their first year. She also conducted research through her school's Undergraduate Research in Humanities program. The project focused on humanizing undocumented youth’s experience through storytelling and uplifting their lived experiences. Lupe was born in Mexico and migrated to the U.S at the age of 5 years old. She was raised in Mountain View and attended Mountain View High School. In her free time, she enjoys listening to a good podcast, finding new music, and spending time with her partner and their dog Spots.

Chloriza Avila was born and raised in Lathrop, CA. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and double minor in Ethnic Studies and Education from UC Davis. While at UC Davis she worked with BRIDGE: Pilipinx Outreach and Retention as a Community Youth Development coordinator. In this role, she worked with and created curriculum for first-generation, low-income, and historically underserved youth to promote cultural awareness and accessibility to higher education. Chloriza has always had passion for working with students and is excited to support PCF scholars in embracing their unique identities and seeing themselves as vessels of change. In her future, she hopes to continue to bridge the opportunity gap and support marginalized youth and families in their personal and professional endeavors.

Chloriza also enjoys conversations about mental health and social justice. When she isn’t working, you can find her trying new food places, de-stressing at the gym, or traveling

Vanessa is a California native and graduate from University of California, Santa Barbara where she earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Biology. After spending time several years after college working for the HEAL Initiative, she decided to start a new journey with the Peninsula College Fund. Vanessa is passionate about closing the opportunity gap in higher education and is a dedicated advocate for first generation college students. In her free time, she enjoys being with her family and spending time in the community supporting local small businesses.

Samantha Wenzel is a Bay Area native, raised in the North Bay. For 12 years she has worked with Bay Area students as a mentor, coach, and teacher. Samantha graduated from Santa Clara University with a BA in Communication in 2016. Her maternal family settled in San José when they first arrived in the U.S. from Mexico, and she is committed to serving the community in which her roots are planted. Her passion around education system reform has led her to dedicate her career to serving organizations that provide the necessary support needed for underserved students to succeed in a system that was not created for them to thrive in. With her experience in working with first-generation students in both the high school and college setting, she aims to utilize her role as Career Services Program Coordinator to support PCF scholars in their pursuit of a career aligned with their dreams and sense of purpose.

Eduardo was born in Redwood City, CA but moved to Hayward, CA when he was five years old. Being a Hayward Made student, Eduardo completed his entire education in Hayward. Eduardo obtained his AA in Communication Studies from Chabot College in the Spring of 2017 and recently graduated from California State University, East Bay with his BA in Ethnic Studies with a concentration in Latinx and Chicanx Studies. During his educational journey, Eduardo worked with the TRIO Educational Talent Search Program at Chabot College and Hayward Promise Neighborhood at CSU East Bay as a Program Facilitator and Promise Intern. In these roles, he focused on being a mentor for first-generation, low-income, and multiracial students and families. His passion is to continue working with students and families from around his community. In his free time, Eduardo enjoys adventurous car rides and getting lost on the road with good music playing.

Denise Villamil joined PCF after 20 years in program design/evaluation, relationship building, and management development within the corporate and non-profit sectors. She has held numerous executive roles in her career in both the technology and biotech sectors. She has also been an accomplished entrepreneur of two successful start-up companies. Throughout Denise's career, she has had the opportunity to mentor young professionals both in the US and abroad in the area of professional development. As one of the first in her family to go to college, she understands the impact that higher education and career-readiness has on employment opportunities. Denise was drawn to the PCF mission because of her passion for changing the equality of equity challenges that restrict underserved communities from securing meaningful careers. As such, she was excited to join the PCF team to start a new department within the organization focused on providing robust career advisory services and training programs that address the unique workforce readiness needs that first-generation college students face in today’s marketplace.

Denise graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Business Management from National University. As a native Californian and sports enthusiast she enjoys being in an area where she has local access to the coast and the mountains. In her off hours, Denise can be found spending time with family and friends, traveling, skiing, and giving back to the community through volunteering her time, treasure and talents to various non-profit organizations.

Marinez has a passion for helping underserved communities by providing resources, creating connections, delivering support, and engaging in advocacy. Marinez is committed to helping others receive the adequate education, skills, knowledge, and support necessary to thrive in today’s economy.

Previous to working at The Peninsula College Fund, Marinez served as an Operations and Policy Coordinator at CA EDGE Coalition, where she supported the organization in advancing its mission through advocacy work focused on workforce development and higher education issues. Prior to EDGE, Marinez worked with students at the Dreamer Resource Center at California State University, Sacramento. As a Program Assistant, she provided resources to students of undocumented and mixed-status backgrounds as she helped them pursue their goals in higher education.

Marinez is also highly engaged within her community in the Bay Area. Marinez has become a strong advocate for Latinos in Silicon Valley through her involvement with the Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley and the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley. Marinez also serves as a board member for Catalino Tapia Scholarship Foundation as well as MetroED Foundation.

Marinez is a proud daughter of immigrants and values her Mexican heritage. Born and raised in the Central Valley, she experienced the various financial and educational barriers others in her community face. Today, she is driven to give back to her community by increasing access to high-quality education and opportunities to thrive in the economy.

Marinez received her BA in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Public Relations at California State University, Sacramento.

Lizeth Diaz Navarrete grew up in San Jose, California and was the first in her family to attend and graduate from university. Lizeth earned her Bachelor's in Psychological and Brain Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her Master's in Counseling and Guidance from San Jose State University. It was during this transformative period that she discovered her true passion for helping underrepresented students understand their talents and strengths to thrive in higher education. This passion led her to intern at SJSU's Career Center, where she dedicated herself to empowering students to make informed decisions about their career paths and leverage their unique abilities to pursue fulfilling careers that not only align with their passions but also offer financial freedom. As a first-generation woman of color, Lizeth is committed to using her lived and professional experiences to aid other students in higher education succeed at a holistic level and work towards addressing systematic inequities.

Samantha Wenzel is a Bay Area native, raised in the North Bay. For 12 years she has worked with Bay Area students as a mentor, coach, and teacher. Samantha graduated from Santa Clara University with a BA in Communication in 2016. Her maternal family settled in San José when they first arrived in the U.S. from Mexico, and she is committed to serving the community in which her roots are planted. Her passion around education system reform has led her to dedicate her career to serving organizations that provide the necessary support needed for underserved students to succeed in a system that was not created for them to thrive in. With her experience in working with first-generation students in both the high school and college setting, she aims to utilize her role as Career Services Program Coordinator to support PCF scholars in their pursuit of a career aligned with their dreams and sense of purpose.

Lizeth Diaz Navarrete grew up in San Jose, California and was the first in her family to attend and graduate from university. Lizeth earned her Bachelor's in Psychological and Brain Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her Master's in Counseling and Guidance from San Jose State University. It was during this transformative period that she discovered her true passion for helping underrepresented students understand their talents and strengths to thrive in higher education. This passion led her to intern at SJSU's Career Center, where she dedicated herself to empowering students to make informed decisions about their career paths and leverage their unique abilities to pursue fulfilling careers that not only align with their passions but also offer financial freedom. As a first-generation woman of color, Lizeth is committed to using her lived and professional experiences to aid other students in higher education succeed at a holistic level and work towards addressing systematic inequities.

Nadim Rahman is the Operations Director and co-founder of Think Hopeful.  Nadim is first generation to attend college and immigrated to the US to obtain higher education. He has been engaged in sustained social justice activism in peacebuilding, education for underprivileged, working with homeless, human rights activism, volunteering and coaching over the last decade. Working in several volunteering roles ranging from member to director to advisory board positions, he has put social justice at the forefront of his life. He has formal training in engineering, economics, management, and finance, and has experience consulting with Fortune 500 companies. His lived experience with mental health inequity and experience in coaching prompted him to team up with Irem Choksy to create Think Hopeful where they are working with mental health therapists to provide culturally responsive support and resources that are tailored to the unique needs of marginalized students.

Irem Choksy is a licensed mental health therapist, ex-Clinical Director of residential facilities, ex-Program Director of residential facilities, and a UC Berkeley alumna with over 15 years of experience. Irem is a female of color, first generation, and an immigrant, and strongly resonates with the mental health inequities caused by stigma, inaccessibility, and lack of social support. She is a frequent speaker at community-based organizations and has led and conducted training with National Alliance on Mental Illness, LAPD, and various community centers across California. Irem brings her experience of being a licensed mental health professional and experience building mental health programs to the high energy, interactive and engaging workshops she creates for students. She has also been in executive roles leading clinical care teams, developing strategic initiatives, and scaling clinical programs attuned to cultural needs of individuals.

Chloriza Avila was born and raised in Lathrop, CA. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and double minor in Ethnic Studies and Education from UC Davis. While at UC Davis she worked with BRIDGE: Pilipinx Outreach and Retention as a Community Youth Development coordinator. In this role, she worked with and created curriculum for first-generation, low-income, and historically underserved youth to promote cultural awareness and accessibility to higher education. Chloriza has always had passion for working with students and is excited to support PCF scholars in embracing their unique identities and seeing themselves as vessels of change. In her future, she hopes to continue to bridge the opportunity gap and support marginalized youth and families in their personal and professional endeavors.

Chloriza also enjoys conversations about mental health and social justice. When she isn’t working, you can find her trying new food places, de-stressing at the gym, or traveling