Rebecca Andersen
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Danielle J Armadillo
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Rodrigo Bonilla
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Ariel Collatz
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Horacio Corona Lira
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 17
Background
Horacio Corona Lira was born in Las Tortugas, Michoacán, Mexico, and raised in Lindsay, California. He is the first in his family to attend and graduate from college, receiving a bachelor’s degree in psychology with minors in education and Chicano studies from the University of California at Berkeley. He attributes much of his success to the work ethic instilled in him by his parents and his campesino upbringing. Horacio has over 10 years of professional experience in student affairs, student equity, and leadership in higher education.
Dagmar Derickson
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 18
Grace Ebron
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 16
Gerry Elizondo
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Leroy Roches Gaines
Ed.D Student CANDEL Cohort 17
Background
Leroy Gaines brings over 19 years of combined professional experience working in both urban public-school districts and non-profits paving the way for education reform. He believes all children deserve equal access to high-quality education and school leadership as a key lever in the transformation process required to put students on a path to college and career readiness. Leroy currently serves as the Network Superintendent for the Oakland Unified School District.
Eric Garber
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Marlyn Gomez
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Santy Gray
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Jose Gutierrez
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 17
Positions
Assistant Principal
Social Science Teacher
Research Interests
Trauma Informed Care
Restorative Justice
Multi Tiered Systems of Support
Brianne Holden
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Stephanie Ingvaldson
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Tammy Johnson
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Leslie Kemp
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Peter Lê
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 17
Background
Peter Lê (he/him) was born and raised in East Oakland. He possesses over 12 years of experience in K-12 and higher education. He has taught biology at the high school, community college, and university levels. In addition to his teaching experience, Peter has held roles in college and career counseling and school-based health.
Julian Ledesma
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 17
Background
Julian comes from a family of undocumented immigrants and a bracero father. The youngest and only US born member of his family, he is a product of blue collar and racially diverse East Oakland. Since 2016, Julian has served as Executive Director of Centers for Educational Equity and Excellence (CE3), helping to lead a cluster of over ten programs that specialize in serving the more than 13,000 non-traditional and historically marginalized students at Berkeley.
Garth Lewis
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 16
Background
In June 2018, Garth was elected as the first African American to serve as the Yolo County Superintendent of Schools.
Mary Martin
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Anthony Luis Miranda
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 17
Sawsan Morrar
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 17
Samir Noor
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Yulianna Ortega
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Esmeralda Janet Ortiz
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Kat Parpana
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Abigail Garcia Patton
Ed.D. Student CANDEL Cohort 17
Background
Abby Garcia Patton grew up in East Los Angeles and was the first in her family to pursue higher education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Spanish and a Masters in Secondary Education. She has over 17 years of experience in the field of education, starting her career as a high school English teacher and union president.
Isela Pena-Rager
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 12
Education:
- Ed.D. – Educational Leadership – UC Davis (in progress)
- M.A. – Spanish, Applied Linguistics & Graduate Certificate in Second Language Studies – Purdue University
- B.A. – Art, specialization in Photography – University of La Verne
Research Interests:
Ann Pivniska
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Ola Popoola
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 17
Marney Randle
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 16
Background
Marney Randle (she/her) has a professional background that is a “student affairs zigzag” with multiple touch points in higher education. She has navigated various university environments, whether it’s working on campus or traveling the world via the Semester at Sea program. As a consultant and Certified Professional Coach, Marney works with clients one-on-one and has been invited to speak in various settings on topics surrounding inclusion, personal & professional development, and wellness.
Martin Reed
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Melissa Reeve
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Alexis Reyes
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Carmelita Reyes
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 16
Background
Carmelita serves a Senior Director in Operations in Oakland Unified School District, tackling interdepartmental problems that impact school sites. Most recently she has focused on pandemic related food distribution and school reopening. Carmelita was the founding principal of Oakland International High School, a community she lead for 12 years. OIHS is an alternative ed high school in Oakland Unified School District that exclusively serves newly arrived immigrants and refugees who need to acquire English as they complete high school.
Katrina Rice
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 17
Katrina is a National Board Certified Teacher with over 15 years of teaching experience in urban secondary classrooms. She began her career at June Jordan School for Equity, in San Francisco, where she also worked as an administrator. Katrina then worked at her former high school, Jesse M. Bethel High School, in Vallejo, where she spent six years as the Lead Teacher of the Law Academy. Under her leadership, the Law Academy earned the Diversity Champion Award from California LAW.
Erik Saucedo
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Kellie Rene Sequeira
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 15
Monica Simeon
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 19
Quinten R. Voyce
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 16
Background
Raised and currently residing in Fairfield, CA. Is excited to be an Aggie for the third time having completed a B.S. in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Cellular & Molecular Biology as a first-gen college student and then continued to receive teaching credentials and M.A. in Education.
With a small teacher cohort, created a dual-enrollment high school program founded in 2014 where he continues to teach high school Biology, Chemistry, and a Senior Project capstone course.
Lydia Iyeczohua Zendejas
Ed.D. Student-CANDEL Cohort 17
Background
My path to my higher education profession started in 1990 as a student in the UC San Diego Summer Bridge program. It was there that I met a network of caring and dedicated student staff, administrators, and faculty. This network was central to my retention as a Xicana where, at the time, Latinx only represented 9% of the undergraduates. As of fall 2020, Latinx students represent 21% of the undergraduate population. After graduating, I made the conscious choice to apply to a Masters program in higher education in the east coast for two reasons.
