Get to know our team!

(Listed Alphabetically)

Alondra Vizcarra | Finance Coordinator

Amelia is a longtime popular educator and organizer. She follows in the footsteps of generations of women in her family who have organized communities of care. She was born and raised in Berkeley and graduated from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. Before moving back to the Bay Area, Amelia was based in Tennessee, helping to build a youth organizing program and organizing campaigns around education access, worker rights, community defense, and language justice. Amelia joined SOMOS Mayfair in 2012. She supports the Learning and Leadership Development team and the Universidad Popular de Mayfair, a community institute where members share knowledge and skills to carry out solutions for our collective wellbeing.

Amelia Post | Director of Learning & Leadership Development

Andrea was born and raised on the east side of San Jose. As the daughter of two Mexican immigrant parents, she grew up with a clear understanding of the support and resources her family and predominantly migrant community needed but often lacked
She received her bachelor's degree in International Relations with a minor in Latin American studies from Mount Holyoke College, and her master’s degree in Migration Studies from the University of San Francisco.

What excites her most about SOMOS is the opportunity to not only work directly with my community but to join an organization that has consistently advocated for equitable programs and access while placing the needs of families at the forefront.

Her previous non-profit experience working directly with immigrant families and youth fueled her passion for exploring equity-based policies, programs and services that bridge the gaps between legislation and the realities of migrant communities like her own. Si se puede!

Andrea Portillo | Director of Community Impact and Policy

Angelica was born and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico where she imported goods from the United States and sold them in her family’s store. In 1997, Angelica moved to San José to join her family. She volunteered with Nuestra Casa in the Mayfair neighborhood, leading a women's group for over ten years to organize for health and education access. The women from these groups have gone on to become powerful decision-makers across San José. Angelica has been certified in a number of best practice and evidence based parenting programs, including the Family Development Credential from Cornell University and Santa Clara County’s Parent Project for K-8 parent leaders. She credits SOMOS' Universidad Popular de Mayfair as her main source of personal transformation: it is the place she learned to critically analyze systems, tap into her own power, and build strong relationships. Her personal mission is to support her community's liberation through leadership development.

Angelica Lujano | Learning & Leadership Development Manager

Brenda was born and raised in San Jose her entire life. Growing up with two Mexican migrant parents introduced her to the challenges her community faced. What she loves most about SOMOS is the authentic collaboration with community--- she believes that nobody should be left empty-handed, and all should be given the same educational opportunities to succeed.
She first got involved with SOMOS by participating in the parent workshops. The more she learned, the more she was impressed by the work being done, and in 2017 officially started working as a Maestra supporting SOMOS' programs.
She is currently studying for a degree in Early Childhood Education at San Jose City College, specializing in infants and toddlers. Brenda is passionate about helping families and parents thrive and achieve to make a difference in their home. Even the smallest action can make a difference in a family and child's life.

Brenda Garcia Lujano | Painter FRC Program Supervisor

SoCal born and raised in San Jose, Carlos attended Humboldt State University (now renamed Cal Poly Humboldt) and graduated with a major in Political Science and a minor in Spanish.
As a first generation Michoacano and son of two domestic workers and landscapers, Carlos is no stranger to the barriers and challenges that working class and immigrant families encounter on a daily basis in San Jose. In his prior experience as a legal assistant, and community outreach & education coordinator, Carlos knows fully well that: knowledge is power, and with knowledge, not only is one is able to transform one’s life to the better, but those around them as well.Carlos is excited to part of SOMOS, and Universidad Popular de Mayfair, under Learning and Leadership Development (LLD ) team, and looks forward to work alongside everyone to ensure that the beautiful community in Mayfair and beyond, have the: tools, knowledge, and resources they need to overcome any obstacle they may encounter.
In his spare time, Carlos loves to spend time: with his family (furry friends included); being outdoors whether it be: weight lifting; playing soccer or hiking; learning different languages (currently knows English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and is currently learning French); reading; and learning his momma’s recipes.

Carlos Arreola | FUERTES Community Engagement Coordinator

Citlali was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco. At the age of 9 migrated to the United states with her family. Raised in the heart of East San José, she faced the harsh realities of housing, overcrowding, and landlord injustices from a young age. Immediately she felt the weight of powerlessness in her community. However, through her mother's involvement in SOMOS Mayfair, Citlali discovered a supportive community dedicated to empowering, and uplifting. Initially hesitant to step out of her comfort zone, Growing up Citlali was constantly encouraged by her mother to participate in various activities. As she witnessed her mother's tireless dedication to SOMOS and their community, she found herself inspired to follow in her footsteps. Each workshop attended and community event participated in became a stepping stone towards personal growth and empowerment. Through this, she unearthed a newfound courage and resilience, realizing that growth often lies beyond fear. Citlali emerged as a passionate advocate for her community. Now, a part of SOMOS Mayfair’s staff, her work is not just a profession but a heartfelt commitment—a continuation of a lifelong dream to empower and uplift her community. She is deeply grateful to her parents Juan Martinez and Norma Chavez, whose unwavering support made this journey possible. With inspiring mentors by her side, Citlali's dedication burns brighter than ever, inviting others to join in the mission of creating a community where every voice is heard and every dream is achievable.

Citlali Martinez | Vecinos Activos Coordinator

Claudia Coello | Program Assistant

Claudia Cordero | FUERTES Network & Development Coordinator

Cristina Martinez | Maestra

Damaris bio: Damaris Estrada, an immigrant woman from Guatemala, has passionately and committed and dedicated more than 30 years of her life to community service, organizing and developing the leadership of women, men, and children through popular education in the pursuit of social and economic justice, personal healing, and the building of collective power.

Damaris Estrada | FUERTES Economic Justice Manager

Danery was born in Mexico, Veracruz and raised in Palm Springs, CA. She considers herself to be determined, passionate, and open minded. What excites her about her role at SOMOS is learning new responsibilities and finding different ways to help children and the community. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking and trying new recipes, and finding ways to spend time with her dogs that doesn’t consist of being couch potatoes.

Danery Cervantes | PC+ Home Visitor

Elizabeth Quezada | Community Navigator

Esmeralda is a first generation college student who was born and raised in San Jose. She is a recent graduate from the University of California, Irvine where she earned her Bachelors Degree in Anthropology. She is passionate about tackling inequity within her community in order to promote accessibility amongst vulnerable and disadvantaged populations.

Esmeralda Yepez-Espinoza | Administrative Operations Manager

Born in Orocovis, Puerto Rico, Fabiola moved to the United States at the age of three, embarking on a journey that would shape her dedication to civic engagement and community leadership.
At eleven years old, Fabiola was introduced to the transformative power of civic involvement through the New Voices for Youth Program. This pivotal experience connected her with mentors, organizations, and a supportive community that ignited her passion for advocacy and service. As a voice for the youth community, Fabiola collaborated with esteemed organizations like the League of Women Voters to amplify awareness and advocate for positive change.
Driven by a desire to ensure that all youth have access to similar opportunities, Fabiola pursued higher education at San José State University, where she is currently majoring in Justice Studies with a concentration in Criminology. Her academic journey is fueled by a commitment to help youth overcome generational trauma and build a brighter future.
Today, Fabiola serves as a coordinator for Jovenes Activos and EMPUJE, where she continues her mission to empower the next generation. For Fabiola, this role represents a full-circle moment—an opportunity to give back to the community that inspired her and to support youth in their journey towards self-discovery and success.

Fabiola Rubero | Jovenes Activos & EMPUJE Coordinator

Hello, my name is Fernando Rivera Luna I was born in Mexico City but raised in San Jose since the age of 4. Growing up in the east side of San Jose I witnessed a lot of barriers that our community must go through and made me want to make a difference. I also saw many success stories in our community that made me want to share with people in and outside of our community. I am excited to be able to make a difference by telling the stories of our community in hope to engage them more. Beyond work I enjoy watching sports my favorite being soccer which I enjoy playing and watching, my teams being Club America and FC Barcelona. I am also a big music person with my preferred genre being hip-hop/rap.

Fernando Rivera | Communications & Donor Relations Manager

Gabriel Hernandez has been a community organizer and human rights activist for more than 40 years! He was fueled to fight for social justice by many civil and workers’ rights mentors in his life.In the late 70’s and 1980’s, he organized support for … — Gabriel Hernandez has been a community organizer and human rights activist for more than 40 years! He was fueled to fight for social justice by many civil and workers’ rights mentors in his life.
In the late 70’s and 1980’s, he organized support for refugees and victims from the war-torn countries in Central America. He created extensive community ties with various organizations throughout the Bay Area that he still accesses today. During most of the decade of the 1990’s, he mobilized thousands of high school students in schools, including gang members, throughout northern California to demand more funding and resources for schools. He has helped found several non-profit organizations in the fields of youth organizing, human rights advocacy, and labor rights.
His paid jobs included work in union organizing. During the beginning of the new century, Gabriel represented more than 15,000 workers and helped negotiate contracts for county workers including professional badged staff in the Sherriff’s Department, Department of Corrections, the Probation Department, and the District Attorney’s Office. Through his community activism, he has been able to negotiate agreements with people like Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor Jerry Brown, and the President of Stanford University, John L. Hennessy.

Gabriel Hernandez | Si Se Puede Collective Director

Hazel was born in the Philippines and immigrated to Sunnyvale, CA with her parents when she was 10 years old. Hazel comes to SOMOS with experience in finance, human resources, and operations. Prior to working at SOMOS Mayfair, she worked as a Finance & Administrative Manager with one of our non-profit partner organizations. Hazel graduated from Keller Graduate School of Management with a Master’s in Business Administration. She is very excited to be a part of an organization that supports and works with the community.

Hazel Marie Atayan | Director of Finance

Ismerai Saavedra | Administration Operations Coordinator

Janelle was born and raised in San Jose. She attended San Jose State University to study Child Development, receiving her Bachelor's in December 2020. Working with children is one of her biggest passions-- it brings her joy to see the development of children.

Janelle Garcia | PC+ Home Visitor

Jessica grew up in San Jose and has lived here for 34 years. She studied advertising with a minor in photojournalism at San Jose State, and decided to pursue a higher education by obtaining a Master’s degree in human development at Pacific Oaks College. She was drawn to SOMOS’ advocacy work around social justice and social change, and loves empowering leaders in the community. Jessica is a certified trainer for both Strengthening Families and Parent Cafes. Her passions include Aztec dancing, scrapbooking, and volunteering as a catechist at her local church.

Jessica Moctezuma | PC+ Home Visitor

Jessica grew up on the Eastside of San Jose. She’s passionate about helping her community succeed and prosper, and is proud to help whether it’s in big or small ways. Her favorite part of her job is working with children and seeing Mayfair empowered.

Jessica Trejo | SOMOS FRC Family Advocate

Jocelyn was born in Orange County, her parents moved to San Jose when she was 5 years old. Growing up as the eldest child had its perks and challenges. Jocelyn was the translator of the family as her parents were Spanish speaking immigrants. She quickly adopted the language, leading her to an education her parents never had. She grew up in the East San Jose, where her mother loved the involvement with the community, as well as attending all workshops. She even attended the Marchas in 2006. Looking back, Jocelyn fell in love with SOMOS Mayfair and is eager to learn more about the community, and become part of it again, reconnecting is so special to her.

Jocelyn Serna | Finance Coordinator

Juliana Ayala was born and raised in Watsonville, CA. Her parents were farm workers from Michoacan, Mexico who immigrated to the United States for a better future for their family and children.
She earned a certificate in Early Childhood Education at San Jose’s Center for Employment Training in 2008, and went on to work as a preschool teacher for 9 years at the San Juan Bautista Child Development Center. She enjoys working with preschoolers and her passion and dedication for children led her to other opportunities in Early Childhood Education. From 2017 to 2018 she opened her own home daycare, teaching and guiding young children preparing for preschool.
In 2019 she worked as a Substitute Teacher for Special Education in both the Alum Rock and Milpitas School Districts. She joined SOMOS Mayfair in 2019 as part of *La Escuelita* Team, gaining the knowledge and experience that helped her transition to her current role serving families as Early Learning Specialist for Parent Child+.

Juliana Ayala | UAP Family Teacher

Before joining SOMOS Mayfair as Resource Development Manager, Kelly was the Political, Legislative and Strategic Campaigns Coordinator for UFCW Western States Council, which serves as the legislative arm of the UFCW in California, Nevada and Arizona advocating for progressive legislation. She worked with community and labor partners along with local leaders to develop and implement advocacy programs rooted in shared priorities on criminal justice reform, affordable housing, addressing climate change/environmental justice and immigration support. Kelly also ran political and worker-member mobilizing programs as well as communication programs.
In August 2012, Kelly was the first, Latina and the first woman elected to the position of Recorder of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 5. In 2018, she was elected as the first Latina and woman to serve as President of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council.
As part of her commitment to civic engagement, Kelly is currently a member of the Santa Clara County Human Rights Commission and a Member of the Silicon Valley Latina Coalition. She also served as Secretary-Treasurer of the United Latinos of UFCW, panelist for the Community Review Panel - D3 URGJENT Grant Program, and Regional Director to the California Democratic Party.
Kelly has successfully completed the Asian Pacific American Leadership Institute Certification (APALI), is a graduate of the Latino Leadership Alliance, and served as the Communications & Media Chair to the California Labor Young Workers Council.
Kelly received her B.S. from San Jose State University.

Kelly Martinez | Resource Development Manager

Liz was born and raised in Durango, Mexico. She migrated to the United States at the age of 9 and has been living in San Jose ever since. She’s currently pursuing a degree in Early Child Development, specializing in Infants and Toddlers, at SJCC. She wasn’t familiar with SOMOS before working here, but quickly learned what amazing work was taking place and was excited to get even more involved. Since joining the team, she has been inspired to serve as a resource for her community and their families. She is very passionate about making a difference in children's lives and helping them build resilience within their families and communities, and believes La Escuelita is a great space to do that.

Liz Salas | Early Learning Supervisor

Lorena Mendoza | Administration Operations Coordinator

Maria was born in Monterrey Nuevo Leon, Mexico. She emigrated to the United States when she was twenty-five years old and has spent the rest of her time here in East San Jose. She first came to Somos as a program participant and later took a leadership role in our Raising A Reader program. In 2010, she became a Promotora and most recently has joined the program team as a Mayfair Coordinator. Maria leads our organizing efforts and is excited to continue her work with an organization that is dear to her heart. Maria has her Associate of Arts in Childhood Development from DeAnza College.

Maria Martinez | FRC Chavez Supervisor

Maria “Chayito” Narvaez | Maestra

Maria Ramirez | Maestra

Maria-Guadalupe Urquiza-Speaks was born and raised in Michoacan, Mexico. She immigrated with her family to the United States at 15: her parents had a dream of a better life and education for her and her brother. They left everything behind to start a new life, but soon experienced the pain and struggle of being an immigrant in this country.
She found SOMOS Mayfair in 2009 when she joined a women’s support group. She was at the lowest moment of her life, without any dreams and in isolation from her community. Through SOMOS, she learned to dream again and recognize her worth, leadership and talents. Maria became a Promotora and went on to lead the women’s support group for 3 years, helping others discover their power and welcoming them into community. Maria continued her leadership, eventually joining staff as a Coordinator who developed leadership across residents and parents and facilitated workshops on early education and child development.
In 2019, she went back to college to continue her education, but stayed involved with SOMOS as a Board Member. In 2022, she graduated from Pacific Oaks College with a bachelor’s degree in human development and in 2022 transitioned back to SOMOS staff to continue advocating for the world she wants to see for her children and future generations.

Maria Urquiza Speaks | Leadership Development Coordinator

My name is Marizol Romero. I was raised by two amazing & hardworking parents who worked in agriculture their entire lives to support their family. I began farm work very early on helping my father in the cattle ranch alongside my siblings & later transitioning to the tomato plants. I grew up facing the harsh realities of displacement & lack of adequate housing. I have spent the last decade helping farm workers and other underprivileged individuals have access to basic tools to reach self-sufficiency such as housing, food, and education. I am excited & grateful to bring the fight to the East Side & continue the work needed for success for every family. On my free time I like to spend time with my family and coach my children’s local sports teams.

Marizol Romero | SSPC Initiative Manager

Nayeli was born in Oaxaca, México but has been in the Bay Area as a DREAMer since she was 5. She first got involved with SOMOS as a program participant, and quickly grew in her own leadership as a facilitator and mentor, before being brought onto st… — Nayeli was born in Oaxaca, México but has been in the Bay Area as a DREAMer since she was 5. She first got involved with SOMOS as a program participant, and quickly grew in her own leadership as a facilitator and mentor, before being brought onto staff. She fell in love with the way SOMOS engages with and empowers community, and holds space for their knowledge, skills, and passions.
She’s proud to be in this movement and is committed to advancing the common good of families and children. In her role at SOMOS, she works alongside her community to identify root causes of systemic oppression and build transformative solutions that lead to sustainable change.
Nayeli is the mother of three wonderful children, and is an advocate for two-way dual language and immersive education. In her free time, she enjoys hiking.

Nayeli Sedano | Alternative Community Strengthening Manager

Nelly was born and raised in San Lorenzo Octeyuco, Mexico. At the age of seventeen she immigrated to the United States with her father to seek educational and economic opportunities. She has been facilitating, mentoring, and leading within the SOMOS… — Nelly was born and raised in San Lorenzo Octeyuco, Mexico. At the age of seventeen she immigrated to the United States with her father to seek educational and economic opportunities. She has been facilitating, mentoring, and leading within the SOMOS collective for over 10 years.
She was a part of the first generation of *Promotoras* who went through SOMOS’ leadership pipeline. Feeling empowered by the social justice education she received through SOMOS and the *Universidad Popular de Mayfair*, she began facilitating support groups and workshops to connect her community to resources and knowledge (covering a wide range of topics including women’s issues, early literacy, students’ special needs, and immigration). She was a core part of the team that brought *Vecinos Activos* to life, and helped organize families across backyards in Mayfair. She also helped envision SOMOS’ mobile libraries, to increase literacy in Mayfair.

Most recently, she has helped build up SOMOS Fuertes both as a program assistant, and now a Coordinator. In this position, she develops curriculum, utilizes popular education, and facilitates professional development workshops for her peers. This aligns with her deep passion for creating alternative models to challenge existing systems.

Knowing firsthand that transformation is possible, Nelly is committed to empowering her community, making knowledge more accessible, and organizing to address inequalities. She continues her learning through both community institutions (like SOMOS Mayfair) and local colleges where she focuses on social justice curriculum.

Nelly Blas | Universidad Popular de Mayfair Coordinator

Oscar Quiroz-Medrano is a first-generation Xicano, San José native, and the son to two previously undocumented parents (Zacatecas & Oaxaca, MX), the stark reality of the inequalities that affect our communities (i.e., affordable housing, equal education, proper representation, and fair wages) presented itself from the get-go, directing him down the path of social justice, and an impeccable hunger for knowledge. In collaboration with Somos Mayfair, Oscar plans to continue and refine his political awareness by actively listening to the community to encourage them to speak up to ensure the next seven generations of leaders are adequately equipped in the digital age.

Oscar Quiroz-Medrano | Vecinos Activos Coordinator