Our Staff

Draper Center Staff
	Bryan Coreas Post Baccalaureate Fellow, Educational Outreach Bryan Coreas grew up in La Puente,CA and graduated from Bassett High School. An alumnus of the Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS), Bryan has sought opportunities to engage with the community; first as a tutor for Upward Bound, and as a student coordinator for the Draper Center, as well as a Teaching Assistant for PAYS. In May 2011, Bryan graduated with a B.A. in Mathematics from Pomona College and was hired as the Post Baccalaureate Fellow for Educational Outreach at the Draper Center. He is guided by the principle that “to whom much is given, much is expected” and plans to become a teacher with a commitment to social justice and youth empowerment.
	Jose Luis Ramirez Assistant Director, Community Based Research & Learning Jose Luis Ramirez, Jr. grew up in Long Beach to immigrant parents from Mexico & Peru, as the eldest of three and a first-generation college student. Jose developed his passion for social justice work as an undergraduate at UC Berkeley, working alongside community partners through Stiles Hall and the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program. His professional experience includes the Berkeley Unified School District, the LULAC National Educational Services Center, and leadership development with college students over the past decade at UC Berkeley & UC Irvine. Jose is currently working towards completion of his master’s degree in Education at Claremont Graduate University. He is committed to creating supportive spaces for praxis.
	Maria Tucker, PhD Director/Associate Dean of Students Maria Tucker developed her expertise working with youth and college students through her two decades of work at Pomona College, the University of Michigan, Cornell University, Cal Poly Pomona and Citrus Community College. In 1994, she began brokering community partnerships during early work with K-12 schools through a state funded educational outreach program and has continued this work through collaborating with community based organizations. Maria earned her PhD from the University of Michigan and a masters degree in Public Policy from the Claremont Graduate University.  She completed her undergraduate work at the University of California, Riverside. Her life and work interests focus on justice, education and the natural environment. Dr. Tucker grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and was a first generation college student. She attended high school at one of the PAYS partner schools. Maria serves as a board member of the Pomona Community Health Center and for the Los-Angeles based theater company About Productions.
	Sergio Marin Assistant Director, Educational Outreach Sergio Marin was born and lived most of his life in Los Angeles.  He is the oldest son of immigrant parents and a first generation college student. It is this experience that has shaped his work in education, leadership, and youth development.  Sergio has served youth as a program manager with Public Allies-Los Angeles, a program specialist with the National Conference for Community and Justice Education Department, and as an educator at the intermediate level.  He has also designed and implemented programs for various “youth-serving” organizations in the public and private sector, including Cal Poly Pomona, the Museum of Tolerance, and numerous high schools.  Program topics have included communication, gender, race, age, and leadership.  Sergio maintains a strong commitment to education, dialogue, and community.
	Prof. Tomás Summers Sandoval Faculty Coordinator Tomás is native of Southern California, born in Monterey Park and raised in La Puente. He is an Assistant Professor of History and Chicana/o~Latina/o Studies at Pomona College, where he also serves as the Faculty Coordinator for the Draper Center. His career has been dedicated to promoting educational access, as well as nurturing connections between the academia and the communities we study. He is a graduate of Claremont McKenna College and holds an MA and PhD in History from the University of California, Berkeley. He is a proud resident of Pomona, where he lives with his wife and three children.

2012-2013 Student Coordinators

The heart and soul of the Draper Center are our student coordinators, who run our community programs and staff the day-to-day needs of our center.

Angelica Townsend
Angelica Townsend is a Posse Scholar and a Senior Psychology Major and Theatre Minor from Chicago, Illinois. She joined the Draper Center team in the fall of her junior year. Since then, she has been involved in Food Rescue/Food Recovery Network's Hunger Awareness Week, Sagehens Engage!, and she will be co-leading the Alternabreak trip to San Francisco in the Spring of 2013. Her passion in film, theatre, and art, as well as social justice influenced her to pursue a career in producing/marketing films that promote social awareness of the various issues we face in today's society.

Becca Baiman
Becca Baiman is a sophomore from Oak Park, IL and is studying a combination of math, physics, and environmental analysis. This is Becca's first year working for the draper center where she is excited to work on the Coronado Garden Project and Alternabreak. Besides working at the Draper Center, Becca is a volunteer coordinator for Cultivating Dreams, she plays the cello and fiddle, is a sponsor in Blaisdell, and loves chilling with family and friends.

David Rosas
Born in the backwoods of northern Wisconsin and raised in part by grey wolves, David Rosas is currently adjusting to the urban sprawl of the greater Los Angeles area, and the bubble that forms around Claremont. From Beaver Dam, WI, David is a sophomore Environmental Analysis/German double-major. He is interested in everything – from social, environmental, and food justice issues to women and immigrants rights. At the Draper Center, he is working with the Coronado Garden Project, ESL tutoring, and Food Recovery. Hit him up if you have nothing to do and just need to kick it.   

Diana Ortiz
Diana Berenice Ortiz grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and currently lives in Los Angeles, California. She is a junior at Pomona College pursuing a History major with an emphasis in Latin America and a minor in Chicano/a Latino/a Studies. At the Draper Center she helps organize the English as Second Language (ESL) Tutoring Program and the Los Angeles Alternabreak Trip. She is also a La Fe Bible study leader through the Inner Varsity Christian Fellowship, a Mariachi Serrano guitarist, and the co-founder and member of Improving Dreams Equality Access and Success (IDEAS), an immigrant rights 5-C organization.

Eric Martinez Cornejo
Born in Guerrero, Mexico and raised in Dallas, Texas, Eric Martinez is a junior at Pomona College. He is studying environmental analysis with a minor in astronomy. On campus, Eric is the co-founder of IDEAS at the Claremont Colleges, an avid member of the ballroom dance company (CCBDC), co-president of Empowered Latinos in Action (ELA), and participates in the student support committee of Workers for Justice (WFJ). Post-Pomona, Eric plans to attend graduate school and study environmental engineering or geospatial systems. Eric loves working in the community and is actively involved with the Draper Center’s Campus Visits and Alternative Spring Break (Alternabreak) programs. In his free time you can find Eric tossing a Frisbee around Walker Beach or enjoying a good book at CLSA.   

Erika Parks
A chronic over-commiter, Erika is a senior from southern Colorado who is double majoring in Math and Sociology. She is writing two theses, working two jobs, planning for a mysterious and exciting future, and trying hard not to accidentally say yes to anything else. Erika loves wearing pencil skirts to work on Fancy Fridays, coordinating the Rooftop Garden Mentoring Program, and spending every moment she can with the amazing people who work at the Draper Center. You may also find her in Millikan struggling with statistics, at Starbucks reading sociology and drinking a soy latte, or cooking for her friends and family any chance she gets. 

Hong Gao
Hong was born in Fuzhou, China and moved to New York City when she was 13 years old. She is a sophomore studying History and Math. Her interests include poverty, health and immigrant issues. At the Draper Center, she is involved with LINC and Alternabreak. Hong enjoys learning Spanish and Classical Chinese, swimming and playing volleyball. 

Isabel García
Isabel was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois. She is the second child out of five siblings born to her immigrant parents. She is a first generation college student and is profoundly proud of being Mexican American and Chicana. Her familia and heritage have shaped her education and determination. She is currently a junior at Pomona College, double majoring in Chicana/o Latina/o Studies and Sociology. At the Draper Center, Isabel coordinates the Draper Center Shuttle and Pomona Partners. In the future, Isabel plans to continue engaging in education reform, educational law, and in her communities.

Jackie Ching
Jackie was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii.  He is a junior majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) and intending to minor in Chinese.  With the Draper Center, he is most involved with Pomona Partners, Alternabreak, and Community Engagement Grants programs.  He enjoys supporting his favorite Los Angeles sports teams, studying American history, and spending time with family and friends.

Josh Nomkin
Josh Nomkin is a senior history major from Phoenix, Arizona. He enjoys the outdoors and “chill” music. At the Draper Center, Josh works on Campus Visits, LINC, and Next Level. He really likes reading and hanging out with friends. 

Mauri Navarro
Mauri is a third-year Linguistics major, with interests in language and gender, queer theory, community, and intersectional identity. She currently holds student staff positions at both the Draper Center and the Queer Resource Center of the Claremont Colleges. Mauri focuses on the ESL Tutoring Program and a coming potential collaboration between the Draper Center and the QRC. When not occupied with work or school, Mauri loves to sing, dance, and watch hilarious videos online.

Nicholas Murphy
Nicholas Murphy is a 2013 Molecular Biology major who has been working at the Draper Center since fall of 2010 as the primary coordinator of Food Recovery Network at Pomona, formerly known as Food Rescue. At the Draper Center, he is also responsible for organizing the summer and winter Community Engagement grants and the budget for the center. Aside from the Draper Center, he does research on DNA processes in Archaea and enjoys playing bass and going outdoors.  Click here for the Food Recovery Network website.

Praise Iyiewuare
Praise is a senior from Houston, Texas, and she is an Anthropology and Neuroscience double major. This is her third year as a Draper Center coordinator, and she is involved in K-12 Campus Visits, as well as the Rooftop Garden Project. She enjoys Zumba, long dinners with friends, coffee ice cream, and spontaneous dance. After graduating from Pomona College, she plans to attend public health graduate school, and thereafter develop a career in the following domestic and international fields: HIV/AIDS, sexual & reproductive health, and maternal and child health. 

Sarah Buchhorn
Sarah is a Junior Chemistry major from Midland, MI/Serbin, TX.  At the Draper Center she works with Pomona Partners, Sagehens, Engage! and the Social Media Committee.  Aside from her job and studies she is involved with the Pomona Hope After School Program, Pomona-Pitzer Christian Fellowship, and Uncommon Good mentor program.  She enjoys running and walking, writing letters, conversations with friends, and exploring new places.

Sarai Jimenez
Sarai Jimenez is currently a 3rd year at Pomona College. She is a coordinator for LINC(Learning in Collaboration), and the Rooftop Garden Mentoring Program. She is History major fluent in English. Spanish, and (after her semester abroad this Spring) Italian. Besides working at the Draper Center, Sarai enjoys learning reading, learning Italian, hanging out with friends, spending time with her family (mom, dad, 2 sisters, and brother), traveling, eating moonpies, and taking in the beautiful SoCal sun. She hopes to work at an international non-profit organization after graduating.

Sonya Zhu
Sonya is a junior psychology major from Coralville, Iowa. She is a coordinator for Pomona Partners and the Coronado Garden Project. Her other activities include being a psychology lab research assistant, dancing in various forms, and enjoying the rain if the SoCal weather permits. She is interested in attending graduate school in counseling or clinical psychology and studying the intersection of mental health and culture. 

Viridiana Chabolla
Viridiana is a senior from East Los Angeles, California.  She is double majoring in Sociology and Chicana/o-Latina/o Studies.  Viridiana is involved with the Pomona Academy for Youth Success (PAYS), K-12 Campus Visits, and the ESL tutoring program.  Outside of the Draper Center she is a member of Empowered Latin@s in Action (ELA), enjoys reading, watching endless amounts of Netflix and Hulu, and sleeping.  After graduating from Pomona she plans to continue to pursue a doctorate degree in sociology or education and continue to embed social justice into her work.

 

2011-2012 Student Coordinators

Bridgette Depay

 Bridgette is a senior who studies Romance Languages and Literatures and Studio Art. Her interests include environmental and educational justice. In her three years at the Draper Center, Bridgette has coordinated two Alternabreak trips, various campus visits, and the Coronado Garden Project. In high school, Bridgette crocheted bags for profit.

Clara Fried
Clara is a senior this year, and she has been working at the Draper Center since the fall of her sophomore year. She grew up in Voorheesville, New York, and she is a double Mathematics and Economics major. This year at the Draper Center, she coordinates Sagehens, Engage! and K-12 Campus Programs.

Diana Ortiz
Diana Berenice Ortiz grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and currently lives in Duarte, California. She is a sophomore at Pomona College and a History major with an emphasis in Latin America and a double minor in Religious Studies and Chicano Studies. In the Draper Center she works in programming the ESL Tutoring Program and the Los Angeles Alternabreak Trip. She is also a CLSA Sponsor, Mariachi Serrano guitarist, La Fe (Latino) bible study leader, and the co-president of Improving Dreams Equality Access and Success (IDEAS), an immigrant rights 5-C organization.

Erika Parks
A junior from southern Colorado, Erika is majoring in Sociology and Math. She would like to combine the two in a career that works for social justice, specifics to be decided! At the Draper Center, Erika is involved with Alternabreak, the Rooftop Garden, and Sagehens, Engage! Her sparse spare time is consumed with cooking, organizing, and spending as much time at dinner as possible.

Isabel Garcia
Isabel was born and raised in Joliet, Illinois. She is the second child [out of five children] of immigrant parents. She is first generation college bound student and is profoundly proud of being Mexican American and Chicana. Her familia and heritage have shaped her education and determination. She is currently a sophomore at Pomona College, majoring in Chicana/o Latina/o Studies and Sociology. In the Draper Center, Isabel coordinates the Draper Center Shuttle and Pomona Partners. In the future, Isabel plans to continue engaging in education and communities.

Jackie Ching
Jackie was raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is a sophomore studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) and Chinese. As a Draper Center student coordinator, he is most involved with Pomona Partners and Alternabreak.

Dialika Sall
Dialika is a senior Sociology major from Bronx, NY. She has been working at the Draper Center since Fall, 2009 and works on campus visits and the Sagehens, Engage! project. Aside from the Draper Center, Dialika has been involved with the Pan-African Student Association, Rare Diamonds, Pomona College Admissions as a tour guide, and the UJIMA peer mentor program. She spent Spring, 2010 abroad in Montpellier, France and most recently participated in a domestic exchange program at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. After graduating, she hopes to take a gap year before attending graduate school for a PhD in sociology.

Julie Wu
Julie hails from South Pasadena, CA and is currently a senior Molecular Biology major. At the Draper Center, she is currently a coordinator for the ESL Tutoring Program and Sagehens Engage. In the past, she has also planned and led Los Angeles Alternabreak. After graduation, she hopes to find a job related to health and medicine and see more of the world.

Nick Murphy
Nicholas Murphy is a 2013 Molecular Biology major who has been working at the Draper Center since fall of 2010 as the primary coordinator of Food Rescue. At the Draper Center, he is also responsible for organizing the summer and winter Community Engagement grants and the budget for the center. Aside from the Draper Center, he does research on DNA processes in Archaea and enjoys playing bass and going outdoors Click here to visit the On The Loose website.

Praise Iyiewuare
Praise is from Houston, Texas and she is double majoring in Anthropology and Neuroscience.  This is here second year as a Draper Center Coordinator, and she is involved in Alternabreak, K-12 Campus Visits, and the Rooftop Garden Project. She enjoys Zumba, long dinners with friends, and randomly dancing. After graduating from Pomona College, she plans to attend public health graduate school.

Sarah Buchhorn
Sarah is a sophomore chemistry major from Midland, Michigan.  She helps coordinate the Center’s social media campaign, as well as works with Sagehens, Engage! and Theater for Young Audiences.

Sarai Jimenez
Sarai Jimenez is currently a sophomore at Pomona College. She is a coordinator for LINC(Learning in Collaboration), Rooftop Garden, and Alternabreak. She plans to declare as a History major. Besides working at the Draper Center, Sarai enjoys learning how to play the guitar, reading, learning Italian, hanging out with friends, spending time with her family (mom, dad, 2 sisters, and brother), traveling, eating moonpies, and taking in the beautiful SoCal sun. She hopes to work at an international non-profit organization after graduating.

Sonya Zhu
Sonya is a sophomore psychology major from Coralville, Iowa. At the Draper Center she is a coordinator for Pomona Partners and Alternabreak. Her other activities including being a mentor for the Asian American Mentor Program, studying small children in psychology labs, dancing in various forms, and enjoying the rain if the weather permits. She hopes to attend graduate school in counseling or clinical psychology and work with Asian American/Pacific Islander communities.

Viridiana Chabolla and Julie Juarez don’t believe in writing short bios for themselves, but they still work at the Draper Center.

Coordinators Abroad in Spring 2012

Angelica Townsend
Joshua Nomkin
Ophelia Ma