2024-2025 Cohort

Alejandra Cobarrubia

Hello, My name is Alejandra Cobarrubia. I am a third year at Santa Clara University majoring in Political Science. I was born and raised in Hayward, Ca. I would like to become a lawyer one day. I joined Elevate because I really enjoy working with kids. I also wanted to help those who needed the support but are unable to receive it due to different circumstances.

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Alejandro Villegas

Hello! I am Alejandro Villegas. I am a junior at Santa Clara University, I am majoring in Economics with a minor in Construction Management. I hope to one day work as a Project Manager, in my free time I enjoy playing soccer and baseball. I look forward to tutor students from the surrounding area and make new connections.

Alexa Ibarra Barragan

Hi! My name is Alexa Ibarra Barragan and I am a first-generation Mexican American born in Berkeley, CA and raised in Oakland, CA my whole life. I am a first year college student at UC Berkeley studying Molecular and Cell Biology. With this education, I plan to go to medical school and work towards becoming a Pediatrician. I wish to serve underrepresented people of color because I have seen and experienced how the healthcare system may be intimidating for those who do not understand it and do not speak English. I joined Elevate Tutoring for an opportunity to give back to my community and to encourage youth from my neighborhood to dream bigger by pursuing a higher education. For fun, I enjoy baking banana bread and chocolate chip cookies with my family, reading thriller books, and watching movies and TV shows.

Andrea Tovar

In progress, please check again soon.

Aria Ishimaru

Hi! My name is Aria, I’m a second year biology major at Chabot College, and my dream is to open an all-animal veterinary hospital. I joined elevate because I want to help students develop confidence in themselves and enable them to excel throughout their school careers. My favorite things to do are camping, snowboarding, & off-roading!

Aylin Torres Rangel

Hello, my name is Aylin Torres Rangel. I’m currently a community college student majoring in biology at Mission College. As for right now, I’m keeping my options open for where I want to transfer. Then, after I obtain my bachelor's degree, I hope to become a pediatric doctor in the future. Having that aspiration, I came across Elevate to join it as I wanted to help underrepresented students coming as a Latina first-generation college student. However, I also wanted to gain experience working with children in an educational setting, as I will later work in a hospital setting. Some fun facts about me are that I have 4 pets and I like to paint portraits of my favorite animes. Lastly, I want to say that my family is my biggest motivation for doing all the things I do.

Berlin Gonzalez

My name is Berlin, I am a Psychology major with a minor in Early Childhood Education at California State University, East Bay. I joined Elevate for the opportunity to make extra money to fund my schooling and to give back to my community. I remember the struggles of being a first gen student with parents who did not know or had the resources to support my education and I still feel those struggles today as a college student. I would have loved to have a Elevate tutor as a young child. I also believe in creating equitable and accessible education, as education is a tool to create a more prosperous, peaceful, and empathic society that uplifts all voices and perspectives. Sometimes for a big change to happen, it starts with helping a child on a single algebra problem.

Brandon Manriquez

Hello, everyone! My name is Brandon Manriquez and I am a first-generation Latino college student at Santa Clara University. Before Santa Clara, I attended West Valley Community College where I received a couple of Associate degrees. I joined Elevate Tutoring as a means of assisting underserved students who have faced similar educational roadblocks as me. As a tutor I plan to encourage the educational pathways of all students, and to supply them with the necessary resources as well as knowledge needed to be academically successful.

Brenda Hernandez

Hey Everyone! My name is Brenda Hernandez. I am currently a student at San Jose State University majoring in Nursing and Kinesiology. I am a first-generation generation college student and single mother to three beautiful daughters. I am a Mexican undocumented student pursuing a career in the medical field to be an ally and advocate for patients in a hospital setting. I enjoy creating core memories with my family, photographing beautiful nature sceneries, and appreciating anything in regard to astronomy. My main hobby is staying physically active which includes working on yoga, weight lifting, endurance and agility.

Bryan Amezcua

Hi! My name is Bryan, I am studying electrical engineering, and I’m a passionate advocate about helping out my community. I have tutored on my own time and loved it, Elevate is a vessel for my passion for helping others and I am extremely grateful to be a part of it. I like to do all sorts of physical activities on my free time, I have always been a long-distance runner and a soccer player.

Bryant Vazquez

Hello, my name is Bryant Vazquez. I am a third year majoring in Advertising and I go to San Jose State University. Some of my favorite hobbies are playing basketball, hangout with friends and family. The reason I chose to be part of Elevate was because I want to be a role model and make sure students get the education they deserve.

Bryant Venancio

In progress, please check again soon.

Chloe English-Satchell

In progress, please check again soon.

Christian Giorge

Hello, my name is Christian Giorge, and I am a transfer student majoring in Applied Mathematics at UC Berkeley. As a proud first-generation college student from East Los Angeles, CA, I am deeply connected to my community, known for its resilience, support, and resourcefulness. Despite facing many barriers, my community remains committed to driving meaningful change. Growing up, I observed firsthand the lack of resources in local schools, particularly in supporting students to excel in STEM subjects. This experience has fueled my passion for STEM education and advocating for better opportunities in underrepresented communities. My approach to serving others is grounded in empowering and advocacy. I believe in equipping individuals with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed, particularly in fields where they are often underrepresented. Whether through tutoring, mentorship, or creating access to resources, my goal is to break down the barriers that prevent students from realizing their full potential. I am committed to using my education and experience to create lasting change, both in my community and beyond, by ensuring everyone can be in STEM and beyond regardless of background.

Danait Fesehaye

In progress, please check again soon.

Daniela Hernandez

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Diego Torres

Hey, I’m Dylon Moala and I am a Junior at Santa Clara University majoring in Civil Engineering with the hopes of being able to architect and build my own house one day. I am planning on getting my master’s degree as well. My goal in joining Elevate is to give back to my community while showing students that no matter the circumstances they can be successful in school if they apply themselves. I love lifting weights, going out with friends, and doing either of those when I’m not cranking out homework!

Dylon Moala

Elisia Ragaller

In progress, please check again soon.

Emily Carbajal Aguilar

Hello, my name is Emily. I am excited to be part of the cohort this year. Their mission is what drew me to apply and I am glad I did! I have previously worked with kids in the education environment in Honduras. Having this experience is what motivated me to continue volunteering in this field. I am a Psychology major at Foothill College and I am currently in the process of transferring. I am excited to see what the year has in store both academically and at Elevate!

Esther Velasco

Hello! My name is Esther Velasco, and I’m a first-generation senior at Cal State East Bay pursuing my undergraduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology with a minor in Human Development. My future goals include becoming a licensed speech-language pathologist and positively impacting individuals’ communication abilities. Outside of my academic pursuits, I enjoy traveling. I joined Elevate to help students improve their academic performance and develop skills that will benefit them throughout their educational journey.

Gerardo Reynoso Padilla

In progress, please check again soon.

Hyatt Tullu

My Name is Hyatt and I'm a sophomore at Santa Clara University. I’m studying Mathematical Economics with a minor in engineering. I want to pursue water purification research at one point in my academic journey so I can help those in my home country Ethiopia struggling with water retention issues. I chose to join Elevate to be a voice for underrepresented students. Having been one of those students with limited access to resources like technology and books, I’m inspired to fight for the next generation, ensuring they have the opportunities I once lacked. In my free time I love to make short films and collect digital cameras. I currently have 12 vintage cameras that range from Canon,Sony, Nikon, Olympus and a lot more! I also love to play basketball and my current favorite teams are the 76ers and the lakers.

Jairo Lima

Hello! My name is Jairo Lima. I go to San Jose State University majoring in english. I am currently a 2nd year student and I have aspirations to become a teacher abroad. I was that kid in elementary and middle school who struggled to keep up in class and needed additional help. Then I saw Elevate and wanted to join because I found their approach to educating the youth admirable and it was something I wanted to be a part of because I want to give that help I didn’t have when I was younger.

Jessica Serrano Flores

Hi, my name is Jessica and I am a Marketing student at Santa Clara University. I am from San Jose, CA and I hope to enter the retail industry for marketing or merchandising. I joined Elevate because I want to give back to my community and support students in achieving their academic goals by being part of their support system.

Jose Luiz Sarabia Torres

In progress, please check again soon.

Kathryn Sieban

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Leon Huang

In progress, please check again soon.

Mia Matute

In progress, please check again soon.

Mohammad Sultan

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Nicole Sanchez

Hello, My name is Nicole Sanchez. I am currently attending San Jose State University and I am a Graphic Design major. I joined Elevate because when I was in Middle School, I was lost and honestly I had no one to guide me. My parents couldn’t afford to hire a tutor for me and at school there were no tutors on campus for me to reach out to. Which made me panic and I felt scared like I couldn’t pass because I wasn’t smart enough. I don’t want anyone else to feel like that because these resources such as tutors should not be a privilege but a right.

Rhianna Irao

Hello! I’m Rhianna (she/her) and I’m a third-year transfer student studying Environmental Sciences and Integrative Biology at UC Berkeley. As a first-generation Filipino-American college student, my success in the education system was made possible through mentors who believed in my potential to succeed when I struggled to. Working with Elevate, I hope to instill that self-confidence in students like me and pay it forward.

Ryan Du

Greetings! My name is Ryan and I am currently a sophomore at Mission College. I am majoring in Electrical Engineering and hope to take my skills and education to such places as NASA where I can work on deep space communication devices. My main reason for joining Elevate Tutoring is to inspire, educate, and empower potential future scientists and engineers! Fun fact: I really enjoy soldering and building/flying drones

Saidy Reyes

In progress, please check again soon.

Sandy Pham

Hello! My name is Sandy Pham (she/her), and I am a senior Public Health and Economics student at Santa Clara University. I joined Elevate because I want to learn how to be an effective communicator and inspire the future world shakers. I aspire to create data-driven solutions so people can make informed decisions about their health and improve community health outcomes.

Sarah Cadenas Dominguez

Hi guys my name is Sarah Cadenas and this fall quarter I will be attending Santa Clara University. I will be majoring in English and currently thinking about minoring in film. A little bit about myself is that I enjoy going on walks and listening to Omar Apollo, and recently I’ve enjoyed listening to podcasts. I joined Elevate because I want to give back to my community and help students who need help. Thinking back to my middle school years, I struggled a ton on stem-related subjects and got no help or support from teachers or anyone. Therefore, I want my tutees to feel like they have someone they can ask for help.

Selma Redzic

In progress, please check again soon.

Silverio Ochoa

Hello! I am Silverio Ochoa, an Electrical Engineering and Computer Science student at UC Berkeley. I’ve always been into math and love helping people get the hang of it. Whether you're stuck on algebra, geometry, or anything else, I’m here to make things easier! Feel free to ask me any questions!

Steven Diep

In progress, please check again soon.

Sydnee Payne

Hello! I am Sydnee, I am a second year at San Jose State University. My major is Nusing. I want to be a pediatric and labor and delivery nurse. I joined Elvevate, because I am a huge advocate for education and believe it is an important part to one’s success. I have always loved school, even throughout my early years of education when I struggled academically and emotionally. I was able to have support in and outside the classroom from my teachers and counselors. The support from my teachers and counselors has helped me become who I am today as they have helped me strive for more, specifically a college degree. I know having support is necessary to be successful in and outside of school. I also understand loving school and having support is not the case for everyone, so coming across Elevate I knew I could be apart of someone’s support system and make a long lasting imprint on there future.

Teresa Rodriguez

I’m Destiney Rodriguez, a senior at San Francisco State University majoring in anthropology. I moved to the Bay Area ten years ago from Florida, but originally from Puerto Rico. I am proud to be a first-generation student. I joined Elevate Tutoring to help students like my younger self who struggled with math, and hope to help make a difference.

Wail Mohammed

Hi, I’m Wail Mohammed, a junior at California State University, East Bay, majoring in Computer Science. I joined Elevate because I’m passionate about helping students succeed in STEM subjects, especially math and science. I’ve had some great experiences working on software development projects and love sharing what I’ve learned. In my free time, I enjoy photography and exploring different cultures. I also speak Arabic and French!

Yaratza Lievanos

In progress, please check again soon.

Yasamin Hatefi

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Yesenia Godinez Tafolla

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Yvette Hernandez

Hello! My name is Yvette Hernandez and I am a third year student studying English and Film at the University of California Berkeley. As a first generation student I understand the barriers and struggles students of a similar background face and would like to contribute support and a helping hand to them through Elevate. My goal is to help foster an environment for students to feel safe and supported in their school work. Overall I want them to know that someone is rooting for them.