our BOARD
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Andrea Cova-Bernal, President
Class of 2008 Bio: Andrea Cova earned her M.Ed in Educational Leadership from the University of La Verne and has several years of experience teaching and working with youth. Andrea has a deep devotion to helping students succeed in college and thanks to the many mentors in her life, Andrea’s teaching philosophy is to pay it forward by helping other students navigate their way through higher education. She is currently the host for the podcast called Inspired Conversations with Change Makers in Higher Education and the founder of Inspired HIGHER Ed, a virtual space where students can go for college application resources, links, and opportunities. Major: Critical Theory and Social Justice |
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Erika Nuno, Jose Silva Board Chair
Class of 2000 Bio: Erika is an entrepreneur, culture marketer, arts advocate, and environmental champion. She is the Owner of Champion City, where she works with incredible brands, government entities, and nonprofits while supporting the communities she cares most about. Major: Economics |
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Virginia Vasquez, Vice President
Class of 2010 Bio: Virginia graduated from Occidental College with a double major in English and Spanish literature and a minor in education. She attended UCLA for her teaching credential and Master's in Education. This is her 13th year in education. She teaches English at San Gabriel High School as well as PODER, a program for first-generation college-bound students. She was named 2022 California Teacher of the Year. Double Major: English and Comparative Literary Studies and Spanish Literature |
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Karen Oliva, Social Media and Communications Chair
Class of 2017 Bio: Karen Oliva was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Koreatown and the San Fernando Valley. She is the daughter of immigrant parents from El Salvador and organizes with others in diaspora to support grassroots organizers in El Salvador fighting to defend environmental and human rights. Karen is currently an Academic Advisor at an LAUSD high school where she supports students, many who are first generation, in preparing for college and planning for life after high school. In her free time she enjoys time outdoors, yoga and walking with her partner and pug. Major: Sociology |
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Irene Huerta, Mentorship Program Chair
Class of 2002 Bio: Irene Huerta, a San Diego native, is the daughter of Mexican immigrant farmworkers and mother to three children. While at Occidental College Irene majored in DWA and Spanish. She graduated with Honors, in Spanish, in 2002. After Occidental, Irene continued her graduate studies first at the Pennsylvania State University, where she obtained her Masters in Comparative Literature, and then at UCSD in the Department of Literature. Irene has taught collegiate courses, on-site and online since 2002 and is currently a Lecturer in the Chicano and Latin American Studies Department at Fresno State. Major: Spanish |