Cohort 7 | Class of 2023

Jeremy Adams

• Hometown: Yonkers, New York
• Undergraduate: BA in International Relations with Concentration in Environmental Policy, Johns Hopkins University
• Graduate: MA in Educational Leadership, Santa Clara University
• Research Interests: 
  
  • Culturally relevant pedagogy
  • Parallel leadership to transform educational systems
• Personal Interests: Family time, hiking, running, mountain biking, and travel (when able to)

Hanna Asrat

• Hometown: Irvine, California
• Undergraduate: BA in American Studies, Stanford University
• Graduate: MA in Education, Stanford University
• Research Interests: Experiences of multiracial students and teachers, racially inclusive practices in multicultural schools
• Personal Interests: Tap dancing, reading, baking

Christina Lee Ballantyne

• Hometown: Medford, Oregon
• Undergraduate: BA in Communication with a Minor in Environmental Studies, Santa Clara University
• Graduate: MA in Educational Administration, Santa Clara University
• Research Interests:
  
  • The manifestation of social justice and equity stances in K-12 education through examination of policies, funding, and programs
  • Public school communication, subsequent public/parental perception of quality education, and school selection
  • School board governance, initiative determination and design, examination of success indicators
  • Multilingual learners, elevating status of historically marginalized groups within school systems designed for assimilation and acculturation
  • The longitudinal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to marginalized communities, students, and school staff
• Personal Interests: Maintaining cultural connection as the child of immigrants. Raising my own children to recognize their privilege, contribute to their community, and ultimately become good people. Spending time with the Old Lees (my parents) and the Young Lees (my brother and his wife). Laughing, eating, and finding small moments in the everyday.

Kevina Brown

• Hometown: San Jose, California
• Undergraduate: BA in Graphic Design, San Jose State University
• Graduate: MA in Educational Counseling, San Jose State University
• Research Interests: African American Acculturation and Reassimilation into Family & Community Structures
• Personal Interests: Hiking, painting, pottery, beading, and roller derby

Ashley Busby

• Hometown: Oakland, California
• Undergraduate: BA in Psychology, San Francisco State University
• Graduate: M.Ed. in International Education Policy,
• Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Research Interests:
  • The intersection of socioemotional learning and restorative practices
  • How developing preservice teachers’ social and emotional competencies supports their investment in anti-racist praxis
• Personal Interests: I am a vegan, meditating, foster mom. Nature and laughter are my favorite medicines, which means I am out hiking in the redwoods with my dog, Starfire, or on a backpacking trip with my partner whenever possible. 

Ryan Carter

• Hometown: Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
• Undergraduate: BS in Sociology, Central Michigan University
• Graduate: MA in Counseling, Sonoma State University
• Research Interests: My current research interests include: self-efficacy, parent-school partnerships, college readiness, and social and emotional learning
• Personal Interests: Outdoor fitness, travel, coffee, music, and enjoying time with my partner and dog 

Katherine Chang 

• Hometown: San Jose, California
• Undergraduate: BS in Speech-Language Pathology with a Minor in Helping Professions, University of the Pacific
• Graduate: MA in Special Education with ECSE emphasis, San Francisco State University
• Research Interests: Disabilities within the Asian/Pacific Islander community, achievement gaps from preschool to kindergarten, social justice/equity focused preschool practices, and inclusion in early childhood
• Personal Interests: Traveling, attending music festivals/concerts, and spending time with loved ones

Carrie Cisneros

• Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
• Undergraduate: BA in Business Management, DePaul University
• Graduate: MA in Education, Multicultural and Bilingual Education; MA in Education, Reading & Language Arts Education, both degrees achieved at CSU Los Angeles
• Research Interests: Emergent Bilinguals
• Personal Interests: The mysterious language of toddlers, cooking for two and a half, and figuring out how to use the word epistemology as often as possible in conversation.

Padmavathy Desikachari

• Hometown: San Jose, California
• Undergraduate: BEng, Electronics and Communication Engineering, University of Madras
• Graduate: MS in Electrical Engineering, San Jose State University
• Research Interests: 
  • Formative Assessments and Social and Emotional Learning
  • Effect of Behavior Intervention Strategies in Student Learning
  • Intrinsic Student Motivation for Learning
  • School-Parent Communication
  • Women of Color in Leadership
• Personal Interests: Hiking, cooking, art, and jewelry making

Genvieve Dorsey

• Hometown: Morgan Hill, California
• Undergraduate: BA in Psychology, UC Santa Cruz
• Graduate: MA in Curriculum and Instruction, San Jose State University
• Research Interests:
  • Critical Pedagogy
  • Transformative Leadership
  • Organizational Change
  • Praxis
• Personal Interests: Quality family time, board games, hiking, swimming, kayaking

Isaac Escoto 

• Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
• Undergraduate: BA in Spanish, UC Davis
• Graduate: MA in Education/Counseling & Student Personnel, San José State University
• Research Interests: 
  • Diversification of faculty in the California Community College system
  • College decision making processes
  • Increasing diversity in college governance
• Personal Interests: Lifting weights, nutrition, music, spending time with friends and family

Kristi Grasty 

• Hometown: Los Gatos, California
• Undergraduate: BA in English, UC Berkeley
• Graduate: M.Ed., Secondary Education, English & English as a Second Language, George Washington University; MA in Educational Administration & Supervision, San Jose State University
• Research Interests:
  • Innovative school food service
  • Sustainability
  • Collective efficacy
  • Student wellness
  • Student voice
• Personal Interests: Hiking, running, learning, listening to music, travel, cooking, family, friends  

Angela Guzman

• Hometown: Sunnyvale, California
• Undergraduate: BA in Ethnic Studies, UC Berkeley
• Graduate: M.Ed., UC Los Angeles
• Research Interests:  
  • The impact of Ethnic Studies pedagogy in K-12 context to foster student academic achievement and civic engagement
  • The implications of developing teachers' racial identities and the implementation of anti-racist praxis
• Personal Interests:  Dancing, painting, and spending time with family

Diana Huang

• Hometown: Dalian, China
• Undergraduate: BS in Chemistry, Peking University
• Graduate: MS in Organic Chemistry, University of Nebraska-Lincoln; MBA, Yale University, School of Management
• Research Interests:  
  • Chinese Americans
  • Adolescents
  • Social Justice
  • School Climate
  • Acculturation
• Personal Interests:  Gardening, cooking, Mahjong, yoga, hiking

Willy Kwong

• Hometown: Sacramento, California
• Undergraduate: BA in Child & Adolescent Development, San Jose State University
• Graduate: MA in Child Development, San Jose State University
• Research Interests: My research interests include online learning, biases in education, the influences of technology on children, and the impacts of social media on adolescents.
• Personal Interests: I love to cook new dishes, discover new parts of a city, reflect on life, and play Tetris.

Jackie Medina 

• Hometown: Santa Cruz, California
• Undergraduate: BA in Political Science with a Minor in Environmental Ethics, Humboldt State University
• Graduate: MA in Education, San Jose State University
• Research Interests: 
  • Parental Participation
  • Dual Language Schools
  • Social Justice
• Personal Interests: Playing soccer, running, hiking, my dogs 

Fernanda Perdomo-Arciniegas 

• Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia
• Undergraduate: BS, Mathematics with Concentration in Statistics, San José State University
• Graduate: MPA, Public Administration, San José State University
• Research Interests:
  • Critical Race Theory
  • Critical Feminist Theory
  • Emancipatory Education
• Personal Interests: Running marathons and ultra marathons, international travel, world history, vegan cooking

Marisol Quevedo

• Hometown: Cutler, California
• Undergraduate: BA in Sociology with a Minor in Education, UC Santa Barbara
• Graduate: MA in Education with Concentration in Equity & Social Justice in Education, San Francisco State University
• Research Interests: 
  • Equity-minded and social justice centered practices that support the access, persistence, and completion of marginalized students in higher education
  • Experience of Millennial Women of Color in educational leadership positions
  • Effective student support services for minoritized and marginalized student populations at community colleges
• Personal Interests: Exploring new cities, spending time with family, painting, crafting, and cooking

Tijan White 

• Hometown: St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands
• Undergraduate: BA in Psychology, Tufts University
• Graduate: MA in Educational Administration, Santa Clara University
• Research Interests:
  • First-Generation College Students
  • Amplifying Student Voice
  • Post-secondary Education
• Personal Interests: Family, food, sports, traveling