Meet The Awesome People In The Office
Sandi Pershing
OFFICE OF ENGAGEMENT
Assistant Vice President
Sandi is a lover of Zumba, old cars, fast cars, and every animal she's ever met. Except
for snakes. She doesn't love snakes. She is passionate about access to higher education
for all and is grateful for the opportunity to work in this space every day. As the
Assistant Vice President for Engagement, she spends her time working with all of our
programs, and loves the opportunity to raise money to build pipelines to and through
higher education. A first generation college student, Sandi earned a BA in Dance,
an MPA, and a Ph.D. in Public Administration. She teaches in the MPA program here
at the U, and will soon also be teaching Zumba on campus! Her daughters tell her that
she is like Dug from "Up" because...squirrel!
Nicole Batt
OFFICE OF ENGAGEMENT
Managing Director
Extreme Alps Ice Climbing, X-Games Skateboarding Champion, and Fresh Water Shark Training
are just a few of the activities that Nicole will never do. Because YOLO, you only
live once, and nobody ever got hurt sitting on the couch watching Netflix. Instead
of seeking thrills that might break her fragile bird bones, Nicole currently spends
her free time obsessing over government politics, avoiding ginger damaging sunlight,
and working on her Ph.D. in Political Science. As a first generation college student,
Nicole completed both her B.S. in Communication and Masters in Public Administration
at the University of Utah. Nicole enjoys collaborating with her talented University
of Utah colleagues as Managing Director of the Office of Engagement and Director of
the Utah College Advising Corps.
Mandi Titcomb
OFFICE OF ENGAGEMENT
Administrative Assistant
Mandi loves pickles but hates cucumbers, has read every Shakespeare play at least once, can tell you Snapple facts about at least five breeds of penguins , and hates writing about herself. She received her BFA in Theatre from Westminster College and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She is extremely passionate about access to education, especially higher learning, and is honored to be a part of this super-star team.
Rachel Everitt
Utah College Advising corps
Assistant Director
Rachel is an ardent admirer of Chihuahuas and Kombucha. When Rachel isn't hanging
out 25 feet in the air practicing aerials and performing with the Aerial Artists of
Utah, you might see her around campus promoting access to higher education as the
Assistant Director for the Utah College Advising Corps. Not only does she keep the
office in line with her amazing administrative duties, she also enjoys catching Pokemon.
So far she has a Vapereon with a CP of 930 and climbing. One day she will control
the gym located at the U.S. Army Fort Douglas Monument. Rachel is a first generation
college graduate. Her favorite rockstar politician is Wendy Davis and meeting Gloria
Steinman is a high bucket list priority; #feminism. She received a B.S. from Westminster
College and an MPA from the U. The Office of Engagement could not function without
her Pcard pizazz, parsimonious budget tracking, and her ability to multitask whilst
seeing a squirrel!
Alexa Hudson
first star academy
Director
Alexa has spent the last ten years accumulating skills no one needs anymore, like making fire from rubbing two sticks together and walking across the desert without GPS. She also spent a lot of time coming up with plans she never followed through on, like starting a homemade ice cream business in Salt Lake City. Despite this, Alexa earned a B.A. from the University of Utah and an MFA in creative writing and writing pedagogy from The Solstice MFA Program at Pine Manor College. Alexa is passionate about supporting others through trauma to achieve educational and learning goals. She is grateful to pursue this work in her role as the Director of the University of Utah First Star Academy, a program that aims to improve the educational outcomes of youth in foster care. Alexa is also adjunct faculty in the Outdoor Education and Leadership department at Westminster College. In her spare time, she writes stories and continues to improve useless skills like climbing rocks.
Marisol Perez-Gonzalez
FIRST STAR ACADEMY
Coordinator
Cats and Netflix is pretty much the perfect paradise for Marisol. She often says she
has four pet cats, but in reality they are her family. Marisol was born and raised
in Mexico, and has lived half her life in Utah. When not at work, Marisol loves spending
time with her three sisters, parents, cats, and friends—actually, most of the time,
Marisol just loves spending time alone, hoping one of her cats will love her. Marisol
completed her B.S. in Ethnic Studies and Sociology from the University of Utah. After
graduation, Marisol was shook to be accepted for the First Star Coordinator position
to work with foster youth.
Nisi La'a
FIRST STAR ACADEMY
Peer Mentor
A descendent of warriors, voyagers, and navigators, Nisi La’a has made her way across the Pacific Ocean to the state of Utah. Born and raised on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, in a little town on the West side called Nanakuli. Nisi is a proud first generation student and who transferred from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa to the U her sophomore year. She is majoring in Kinesiology and minoring in Psychology and Health promotion and education. Nisi is heavily involved in the Salt Lake City community working as a volunteer coordinator for a non-profit organization called pik2ar (pacific island knowledge 2 action resources) where she helps bridge people to resources and education. As she is engaged with her community, on campus she is committed as one of the board members of the Pacific Islander Student Association (PISA) and also a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success. In her free time, she enjoys beautiful hikes, watching Netflix, and hibernating in the winter
Sol Jimenez
glendale/mtn. view clc pathways
Pathways Coordinator
Sol Jimenez is the Education Pathways Coordinator at the Glendale-Mountain View Community Learning Center (CLC) and she is hardly ever in her campus office! 9/10 times you will find her at the CLC chatting with parents, students, or her best friend and CLC coordinator Keri Taddie! When Sol is not having fun in the Glendale neighborhood she is usually with her family and close friends. Some of Sol’s favorite things to do are garden, triathlons, make smoothie bowls, clean and organize, shop at Trader Joes and drink sparking water! Sol loves working for the Office of Engagement and the CLC and cannot think of anywhere else she rather be!
Martha Macomber
Uintah basin PATHWAYS
Pathways Coordinator
Martha travels to Fort Duchesne every week. In between trips she hikes, skies, bikes
and otherwise enjoys all the outdoor adventures in Utah. You can probably find her
floating down the Colorado River or buying chocolate at Trader Joe's. One time in
June her and her husband spotted a patch of snow in Eastern Utah at 11,000 ft and
hiked 45 minutes across a scree field with their skis and boots for a total of 8 thrilling
turns! She is a fantastic videographer creating stunning images of her work within
the office and the Ute Indian Tribe.
Logan Meyers
Defining Your path field trips
Director
Logan Meyers, a self-proclaimed "local celebrity" hailing from small town Idaho, works
as the Defining Your Path Field Trip Coordinator. With a degree from Utah Valley University
in Secondary Art Education and Utah State Teaching License, he loves to create art,
and surprisingly, he actually enjoys running around campus with large groups of rowdy
students. He also loves technology and digital media, thus making him a Photoshop
Master of No Mercy! Logan's first job was at the community swimming pool, saving lives
and encouraging small children to "just keep swimming!" Think whistles, planks, and
bubble-blowing contests. Sure, he may be a reluctant hipster who collects vinyl records,
cross-stitches needle point art, loves film photography, and rocks out at local punk
shows, but he also strives to change the intimidating perceptions of college held
by many students in the K-12 community. Through his field trips, he shows that college
is accessible, valuable, and FUN! So, when you see a giant group of K-12 students
scuffling the campus, you know Logan isn't far behind!
Sarah Moore
DEFINING YOUR PATH FIELD TRIPS
Peer Mentor
During Sarah's lifetime she has been known as "goth moth", "edgelord", and as of late, the "mom friend". All of these titles she gladly embraces and flaunts with poise and pride. She has a "slight" obsession with cats, owning numerous articles of clothing dedicated to felines and also owning two of them (their names are Baby and Chubby). Lastly,when she isn't working on school or work related projects, you can always find her looking at recent memes and laughing (essentially dying of laughter, really) because she is very easily amused. Sarah is currently majoring in Social Work and minoring in SUDC and Korean. Her purpose in life is to create an environment that embraces all walks of life, and it is strongly influenced from her multi-cultural background and way of upbringing. Her biggest inspiration in life that motivates her to keep strong is her mom.
Alonso R. Reyna Rivarola
Dream center
Director
Caffeine-dependent Alonso (coffee sip) searches for inspiration and enlightenment
in cat imagery ranging from magnets to calendars. When Alonso is not in the office
working with students, you can find him, well, working some more in the community,
editing papers at local coffee shops, or playing with his cats, Gabo and Kiwi, and
re-watching Parks and Recreation for probably the fifteenth time. NO KIDDING. Alonso
is passionate about working with undocumented students and families and seeks to share
all his knowledge and experiences with the undocumented community as well as the community
at large. In 2013, Alonso graduated from the University of Utah with an Honors B.S.
in Sociology and in 2016 with a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership & Policy with an emphasis
in higher education administration. On his spare time, Alonso is working on a Ph.D.
in Sociology. (coffee sip)
Dayan Castañeda-Muñoz
DREAM CENTER
Graduate Assistant
Dayan is one of our graduate assistants and is currently a student in the Masters in Public Administration (MPA) Program at the University of Utah. When she is not in school or babysitting her two younger brothers, you can usually find her watching her favorite beauty vloggers or looking online for deals to travel somewhere. She is a huge food lover, so share your favorite restaurants with her! Dayan gained passion for working with the undocumented community through her experience as a former undocumented student, then later as a Utah College Access Advisor. In 2017, she graduated with her Bachelors in Sociology and through her professional career she hopes to continue working with students to help them fulfill their goals and aspirations.
Brenda Santoyo
DREAM CENTER
Graduate Assistant
Brenda is one of our graduate assistants and a student in the Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP) Program. She is an alumna from Salt Lake Community College and Utah State University. She recently graduated from USU with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. Brenda has been at the forefront of advocating and providing resources for undocumented students. Brenda has helped implement the Bruin Dreams scholarship, and the UndocuAlly training as an active member of the Undocumented Student Resource Committee at SLCC. She is eager to continue her work at the University of Utah's Dream Center. When she is not in school or at work, she enjoys traveling for music festivals like EDC, exercising her creativity, and spending time with her family and three dogs: Duke, Chispa, and Bandit.
Luis Trejo
DREAM CENTER
Peer Mentor
Luis Trejo *drag queen enthusiast and expert* is an undergraduate student at The University of Utah majoring in Health Promotion and Education. He was raised in Utah, but born in Mexico. You can usually find Luis at his house or at the Del Taco drive thru buying 5 fiesta packs for himself. He likes to get the best of life. He wants to be able to help people achieve their goals in life. Luis' own personal life goal is to meet his role model and savior, Bianca Del Rio, while saving the world from rats and spiders. His hobbies are sleeping, eating, complaining, and bothering people.
Linda Paternina
beacon scholars program
Director
Colombian born and raised, this Latina has energy for days! With passion for her culture and heritage, she always adds her Colombian flavor to anything she does. Linda embraces her multinational experience, which often means communicating in Spanglish (with everyone, really). She is the Beacon Scholars Manager by day and fitness coach by night. Thats right, Linda teaches a fitness class called 'Bodypump!' Exercise is her escape from daily stress. She is grateful for the opportunity to empower students to find their identity and embrace their background as a way to succeed and grow in academics. As a First Generation College Student, Linda received a B.A. in International Affairs from La Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia in 2007, and in 2011, she earned a Masters of Public Administration from East Tennessee State University. When she is not at work, you can find Linda obsessively cleaning her house, and spending quality time with her son, Gabriel, and husband, and ironically playing and dancing to En Barranquilla me Quedo in Utah. Never forget your roots, por que tus raices son lo más importante.
Emilio Manuel Camu
BEACON SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Advisor
A descendant of farmers, cooks, doctors, and teachers, Emilio decided to add folk-dancer
to his families' ever growing list of careers. Beacon Scholar Advisor by day, and
Southern Chinese Lion Dancer by night, Emilio also loves preserving, teaching, and
performing traditional Filipino rural dances at different Asian and Pacific Islander
festivals throughout the state! Smell something good? He's probably serving and sharing
a mean lunch with his students as Emilio not only loves to eat, but lives to cook
indigenous foods from his roots and the surrounding Southeast Asian cuisines. When
he's not dancing, cooking, or eating, he's probably inside watching reruns on Netflix,
outside hiking, or out with friends making and capturing memories! Emilio was the
first in his family to graduate, with none other than a degree from the University
of Utah (BA in Communication, minor in Asian Pacific Islander Studies). He wouldn't
have been able to do it without the friends and chose family he made from AASA, BSU,
ITSA, MEChA, and PISA at the U! Community organizer, aspiring activist, son of the
Pacific—get familiar, talk about social justice issues, and call him 'Kuya'!
Christina Souknarong
BEACON SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Peer Mentor
'I am a potato' is all Christina is about. Anything from a baked potato to potato pizzas are Christina’s favorite food item to talk about. When she isn’t obsessing over being a potato she enjoys eating and hanging out with friends and folks she meets. As the oldest of four in her family Christina is studying Ethnic Studies and Sociology. She comes from a long line of great family cooks and refugees from Laos. When she isn’t in Beacon you can usually catch her chilling in the lounge or in CESA attempting to do homework or passionately talking about how she wants academia to be more accessible to everyone or just eating something that her grandpa cooked for her that day. She enjoys walks NOT hikes with fresh air and loves to embrace her potato-ness.
Jeidi Muniz-Grimaldo
BEACON SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Peer Mentor
Jeidi is a first generation student that is still learning the ropes of college, but
is willing to help and learn along the the way. Currently studying Human development
and family studies and loving it! She really enjoys doing crafts and DIY projects.
She tries to do them whenever she can and usually that translates into her making
a lot of gifts and some crafty decor (all though it may not always work out!). She
is super afraid of scary movies so do not count on her to watch them with anyone.
I also am learning to speak nahuatl, and speak spanish. When she's not in BEACON,
she's usually studying and trying to improve herself. She is a Sun sign and Moon sign
Aries which a lot of people do not see because she does not act like a fire sign but,
ya know everyone has their opinion. She is the oldest child in her family so that tend to comes out in her interaction
with others. Often called as the, “emotional mother”, for that. She often spends her
time stressing about minor details and tends to overthink. I enjoy going out to dance
with my friends and acquaintance.
Karla Ramirez
BEACON SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Peer Mentor
Karla is a sun sign so summer is my favorite season, yellow is my favorite color and I’m a Gemini rising in Virgo. According to Chinese astrology, her peak years will be from 27 on up so wait on her. She's a social work major here at the University of Utah, She loves to jog and her ultimate goal is to be a immigration lawyer. She cares about undocumented student/family issues and Latinidad. Standing at 5 ft exactly, she can’t reach most things so she tries to make friends with people who are taller than her. She's bilingual, in her third year of college, the oldest of her siblings and glamorous. Her brown skin sparkles in the sun and her favorite fruit is oranges. Xoxo gossip girl.
Shania Portilla Santana
BEACON SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Peer Mentor
When she’s not representing her Latinx culture through Ballet Folklorico dance, Shania enjoys taking long walks at the capitol and spending time with her four children (dogs). Shania is a first-generation college student hopefully majoring in elementary education. She is a light brown/red headed girl with freckles that loves going to concerts and on spontaneous adventures with her friends. Shania has a loud annoying laugh that you can hear from across the room which goes with her sense of humor, so hit her up if you want to have a good laugh.