College Access & Success Associate

Yesenia (she/they) joined the C5LA team as the College Access & Success Associate in 2023. They grew up in a low-income, mixed-status household to immigrant Mexican parents in Sacramento, California and identify as a queer woman of color. They are a first-gen college alum from UC Santa Cruz and earned their Bachelor’s in Psychology and Sociology/Latin American and Latinx Studies. Yesenia’s passion to support students began through her experience as an Educational Opportunity Programs (EOP) Summer Bridge Scholar. Through Bridge, they received guidance and support from a caring community of first-gen, low-income people of color who taught her that her lived experiences and identities are assets. Yesenia aspires to empower and nurture students in a similar manner, and earned her Master’s of Science in College Student Personnel from the University of Rhode Island to develop the essential skills and knowledge needed to serve diverse students. 

Prior to her experience at C5LA, Yesenia spent time supporting students in TRIO, EOP, LGBTQIA+ Centers, and Housing and Residential Life services. Yesenia’s lived experiences and education influence the empathetic and strength-based perspective she applies in her work and she hopes to continue positively impacting the lives of students pursuing higher education.