STAFF
JOSE ARREOLA
Outreach Manager
Email: jose@e4fc.org
Jose was born in Durango, Mexico and came to the United States when he was four years old. With the unconditional love and support of his family and the guidance of many mentors along the way, Jose went on to study Political Science, History and Ethnic Studies at Santa Clara University — where he received a full scholarship. During his college career, Jose was an outspoken leader on campus around issues of racism, inequality, and oppression. Jose's work culminated as the Executive Director of the Multicultural Center of Santa Clara University. Upon graduation, Jose was trained as a community organizer for racial and economic justice by the Center for Third World Organizing in Oakland, CA. As an undocumented student himself, Jose utilizes his experiences to help empower and support other undocumented students across the country.
Listen to Jose's story Secret Keeps Man on Margins of the Economy (on American Public Media's Marketplace)
Read Jose's post Undocumented, but Not Alone (on Mobilize.org)
Listen to Jose's interview about the Dream Act on KALW's Crosscurrents
KRSNA AVILA
Legal Services Manager
Email: krsna@e4fc.org
Krsna is a graduate of the University of California, Davis where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Psychology in 2010. Having immigrated to the United States when he was only four months old, Krsna grew up feeling truly American, despite his legal status. Living in Oakland, he was a victim of four gun violence incidents. Education became Krsna's tool for freedom and self-advancement, a way to "level the playing field." Since joining E4FC's Legal Services Team, Krsna has developed an in-depth knowledge of U.S. immigration law and has been able to use his knowledge to pursue and gain lawful permanent residency for himself. Krsna is looking forward to receiving acceptance letters from prestigious law schools around the nation in the near future and to reminding undocumented students that anything is possible!
Read Krsna's post My Life as an Undocumented American in The Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy
Read about Krsna profiled in The Contra Costa Times
CARRIE EVANS
Co-Founder
Carrie has over nine years of experience working with first-generation college-bound students. Most recently, as Director of College Counseling at Eastside College Prep, a school serving low-income minority students in East Palo Alto, she led the college admissions program where 100% of graduates were successfully enrolled in four-year colleges, receiving a total of nearly $1.9M in financial aid and scholarships. Previously, she worked as a language arts instructor, educating hundreds of students in San Francisco, San Mateo, and Oakland Unified School Districts. Carrie also draws from her work at Achieva, where she managed educational programs throughout California. Carrie holds an M.A. in Education from Stanford University, with a specialty in English Language Learners.
KATHARINE GIN
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Email: kathy@e4fc.org
Katharine is the proud descendant of Chinese immigrants, who first came to the US in the 1860s to work in the gold mines of California and later during the restrictive Chinese Exclusion Acts. She was born and raised in San Francisco, and received her BA from Yale University and MFA from the University of Oregon.
For nearly 20 years, Katharine has worked to enhance arts and education opportunities for low-income and minority youth. She has developed innovative programs in public schools, community and residential centers, housing projects, enrichment programs, and detention facilities. Her artistic and educational work with youth has been exhibited and published widely in college textbooks, literary anthologies, magazines, and national newspapers, including The New York Times and The Harvard Educational Review. She is frequently invited to share her experiences working with undocumented students at education, immigration, and legal conferences around the country.
Outside of her work with E4FC, Katharine engages in numerous volunteer activities. Most significantly, she serves as Advisor to the Nelson Fund at Silicon Valley Community Foundation, where she has overseen the fund's philanthropic investments in arts and education since 2001.
Read Katharine's article Reasons to Help Undocumented Students
Read Katharine's article Top 10 Ways to Help Undocumented Students
FRANCISCO GONZALEZ
Legal Services Supervisor
Born and raised in Cuba, Francisco obtained his law degree at the University of Las Villas, graduating as one of the top students in the school. For several years, he worked as a civil litigator and taught civil litigation, civil procedures and administrative procedure at the University of Santa Clara in Cuba. After joining a Catholic political opposition movement and becoming legal adviser to the bishop of Santa Clara, Francisco was forced to leave Cuba and become an immigrant and asylum seeker in Sweden. He later immigrated to the United States, initially working as a janitor while enrolled full-time at City College. In 1998, Catholic Charities of San Francisco hired Francisco as an immigration counselor and promoted him to the coordinator position of their Refugee & Immigrant Services Program just eight months later. Francisco is a Board of Immigration Appeals accredited representative, which authorizes him to represent and advocate for clients at all possible levels within the immigration legal system. Francisco has represented dozens of asylum seekers and clients seeking suspensions of deportation and/or cancellations of removal. He is also a writer for the El Heraldo Catolico and appears as a weekly guest on the Telemundo channel. Francisco believes that "caring deeply for the clients' legal problems is the soul and essence of a successful legal practice."
MARIO LIO
Student Support Coordinator
Email: mario@e4fc.org
Mario is Chinese-Peruvian and immigrated to the US from Peru when he was 12 years old. After only one year at Robertson Middle School, he ranked seventh place in his eighth grade class. He then went on to Oceana High School, where he was valedictorian of his graduating class. Mario recently obtained his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley and is planning to apply to graduate school this Fall. Mario was one of E4FC's 2007 and 2009 Scholars.
Watch Mario on Good Morning America
Read Mario's autobiographical short story That Morning
Read Mario's autobiographical short story American Monster
LAURA LOPEZ
Scholarship Application Coordinator
Email: laura@e4fc.org
Laura is a Mexicana and has been a Napa resident since she was one year and eight months old. With the support of her family, she graduated from University of California, Santa Cruz in 2009, majoring in Latin American and Latino Studies (LALS) with a minor in Legal Studies. Laura co-founded Students Informing Now (S.I.N., pronounced sēn), the first AB540 undocumented student support group at UCSC. In 2010, she devoted herself to passing the D.R.E.A.M. Act. As E4FC's Application Coordinator, Laura coordinates the application process for E4FC's New American Scholars Program. She also works on E4FC's Case Analysis Team helping students find remedies within the US immigration system and its limited pathways to residency. She believes that all immigrants have the right to higher education and looks forward to helping students pursue their dreams.
Read about Laura's advocacy work for the DREAM Act
JULIO NAVARRETE
Creative Writing Coordinator
julio@e4fc.org
Born in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, México, Julio and his family migrated to the United States in 1992. Fleeing poverty and persecution, they left their home in search of a better life. Julio is currently a grad student at The National Hispanic University, where he is pursuing a Master of Arts in Education. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Radio, Television, Film, and Theater from San Jose State University, and a Spanish teaching credential in the state of California. Julio has a strong passion for participating in community service and human rights organizations. At SJSU, he was a member of the Sigma Alpha Lambda leadership and service organization, the Alpha Phi Omega community service fraternity, and the American GI Forum. After graduation, Julio worked at Downtown College Preparatory Charter High School, where he taught, motivated and mentored Latino students from low-income, immigrant families for three and a half years. Apart from his academic and professional endeavors, Julio enjoys writing, reading, exercising, and spending time with his loved ones.
Read Julio's creative writing blog
See Julio's performance of The Golden Door
MIRIAM NORIEGA
Outreach Coordinator
miriam@e4fc.org
Miriam was born in Mexico but has lived her entire life in the San Francisco Bay Area. Witnessing the struggles and sacrifices her family has overcome, as well as being the oldest of four children, has motivated Miriam to become an inspirational role model for her younger siblings and cousins. She is extremely grateful for the magnificent support of her high school teachers and peers at Eastside College Prep. It was during the college application process that Miriam first discovered the obstacles of being undocumented; this learning process continued throughout her undergraduate career. As a Women's Studies major at Mills College, Miriam was able to to merge her Christian faith with her academic interests om feminism and social justice. She was also able to participate in the creation of the Mills Leadership Action of Tomorrow (MLAT), the first and only student club that addresses immigration issues in a broad perspective, which showed her how a supportive and compassionate community could help undocumented students overcome the struggles they faced. Miriam received her Bachelor's Degree of Arts in May 2010. Since then, she has devoted herself to working alongside youth in low-income, marginalized communities, and helping them become innovators of themselves and their communities. She plans to obtain a Master's Degree in the near future but has yet to finalize her field of study.
ILIANA PEREZ
Publications Coordinator
iliana@e4fc.org
Iliana was born in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico and immigrated to the US when she was eight years old. With the support and encouragement from her parents, family and friends, she graduated with academic and university honors from California State University, Fresno with a degree in Mathematics and minors in Economics and Business. While at Fresno State, Iliana participated in the Aztec Dance Club, Peace and Dignity Journeys, MEChA, The Hispanic Business Student Association, the Salsa Club and Associated Students Inc.. After graduation, Iliana went on to pursue a Master's Degree in Global Political Economy and Finance at the New School for Social Research in New York City. She believes that every student deserves the right to an education regardless of legal status. She hopes to return to Mexico one day to help alleviate the many socio-economic problems that exist and, in turn, create better living conditions so that people do not have to leave their home country.
IRVING PINEDA
Legal Services Coordinator (Deportation Defense)
Email: irving@e4fc.org
Irving Pineda was born in Zihuatanejo, Mexico and came to the United States when he was six years old. Driven by a desire to emulate his parent’s commitment to education, Irving graduated from Eastside College Preparatory School in 2006, attended Santa Clara University for his first two years of college, and then graduated from the University of California, Merced in 2010 with a BA in Political Science. At UC Merced, he was elected and served as Campus Organization Director for UCM’s External Office under the Student Government. In this position he oversaw campaigns for DREAM Act, Cal Grants, Pell Grants, and lobby efforts to raise money for higher education. He also helped organize student conferences, rallies, protests, and sit-ins, and facilitated numerous workshops at different conferences and college campuses. Irving was also nominated Vice Chair of the Campus Action Committee for the executive board of UCSA, a student advocacy organization that spans across all UC campuses.
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