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Meet the Team

The FIRST Program Team Bios
	Francisco J. Lopez M.A fjlopez@elcamino.edu (323) 546-9878 FIRST Program Coordinator I am the middle child of six siblings and father to two beautiful kids. I consider myself to be a First Generation Tagger-Chicano that was raised in Watts and South Central. Prior to working at El Camino, I did community based work doing gang prevention and intervention work for nearly 10 years. I am passionate about utilizing different elements of Hip-Hop and Indigenous based practices to foster resiliency and promote healing in marginalized black and brown communities. With this, I have been fortunate to co-found South Central Arts, a grassroots network that seeks to elevate the work of local entrepreneurs, local artists, and cultural producers in South Central Los Angeles Since 2017. I earned my Bachelor's degree from California State University Dominguez Hills and my Masters degree from California State University Northridge. Both of my degrees are in Chicanx Studies. My thesis centers on Graffiti Muralism. Title: "The Barrio Beautification Effect: "Utilizing Graffiti as A Tool to Build Resilience, Resistance, and Healing with Adolescent Boys and Young Men of Color in Los Angeles. A graffiti-based mural program designed to uplift adolescent Latino boys and other young men of color who have experienced economic hardships, violence, and systemic marginalization in low-income communities. Growing up I always hoped for mentorship opportunities. I utilized graffiti as an outlet to express myself and to build community with people that I went to school with. Although I got into some trouble, graffiti meant a lot to me. I have utilized my aspirations and cultural practices that I learned growing up and applied it to my professional work.
	Isabel Gonzalez igonzalez@elcamino.edu (424) 488-3982 FIRST Program Student Specialist My name is Isabel, but you may call me Izzy. I am the FIRST Student Specialist and I am here to support FIRST students with all possible resources on and off campus as needed. Supporting students with resources regarding basic needs while being in FIRST is such a huge priority because when our basic needs are not met, we are unable to successfully complete our educational goals. Providing access to basic needs and educational resources is important to me because I started my educational journey as a low-income single mother that was formerly incarcerated. I was able to navigate my resources on campus to provide my daughter child-care, grants for books, and even a student worker position. Despite being formerly incarcerated, and a survivor of domestic violence, I was able to successfully graduate from El Camino College in 2019 with a degree in Sociology. I would have never been able to do that without the resources offered to me. So now I am here to offer what was given to me and more to support the next student that walks in my shoes. In the near future my goal is to go back to school and finish my Bachelors in Sociology and further my education. At the moment I enjoy my time here serving students with FIRST because paying it forward has always been important to me. I currently am enjoying the time I am able to spend with my daughter on taking the leap and exploring new adventures. I am currently on a journey of practicing self-care and appreciating nature for what it offers to our world.
	Ruby Padilla rpadilla@elcamino.edu FIRST Program Counselor My name is Ruby Padilla, I am the eldest of four siblings and grew up in East Los Angeles. I was the first in my family to go to college. Once I was in college, my journey was full of uncertainty & confusion. I wasn’t sure what to major in or what I wanted to pursue as my career. I graduated from UC Davis with my Bachelor in Political Sciences & Spanish with a minor in Education. After I graduated, I worked at a Law Firm for 2 years as an immigration law clerk because my family kept telling me I should become a lawyer. Working at the law firm, under direct supervision of an immigration attorney, made me realize this wasn’t the type of advocacy I wanted to pursue. I took the time to reflect on what was meaningful & important to me. The answer always directed me to education. I began researching graduate programs & decided to apply to counseling programs. I graduated from USC’s Master of Education in Educational Counseling where I learned the foundational theories to become an Educational Counselor. I have been at El Camino College since 2017 where I have the privilege of collaborating with ECC Students, Faculty & Staff. Every day, I feel super lucky & thankful for every student that allows me to be a part of their educational journey. I’m here to answer your questions or just chat so feel free to visit me in the Social Justice Center. The thing I love most about working at ECC is the diversity that I encounter every day. I believe our differences & varying perspectives are what allow us to advocate for our culture, community, loved ones & most importantly ourselves.
	Yvette Ruiz YRuiz@elcamino.edu FIRST Program Counselor Hello Warriors! My name is Yvette Ruiz (she, her, hers, ella). I am so excited to support our students at FIRST. I started my education and profession at community colleges. I was the first in my family to attend college. I recall it like it was yesterday, taking an assessment for English & Math. I was so nervous and felt out of place, to be honest, but after enrolling in two courses on a whim with a friend the summer after graduating from high school, I stayed the course. It was not easy learning how to navigate FAFSA, the parking, classrooms, and purchasing books week by week and semester by semester. I felt more comfortable and was encouraged to connect with programs and services on campus. As soon as I did, it completely changed my academic journey, and I felt empowered to ask questions and for help. I want to give that to our students at El Camino College. My goal is to help you at any stage of your academic journey. I earned a master's degree in Guidance and Counseling from Loyola Marymount University and a bachelor's degree in Human Development from Cal State University, Long Beach. Go Lions & Go Beach! I love school spirit here! Off-campus, I enjoy listening to podcasts, spending time with family and friends, and watching scary movies.
	Diego Rodriguez FIRST Program Counselor Diego Rodriguez is a first-generation Mexican-American whose parents are immigrants from Colima, Mexico. He was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. He is a product of the Los Angeles Unified School District and attended California State University Northridge after high school. However, he dropped out his first semester and enrolled at El Camino College the following year. He received an A.A. in Political Science, transferred and graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor's in Political Science, and got his Master of Science in Educational Counseling from the University of La Verne. He is the first in his family to graduate from college and learn to navigate higher education by drawing from his personal experience. His mother is a street vendor with an entrepreneurial spirit that has helped her raise six boys. He draws from his mother's strength, his experience of dropping out, and the help he received from support programs at El Camino College. Currently, he is a counselor at El Camino College. His goal is to help address inequities in higher education and help increase enrollment and retention of students who have been historically marginalized. In his free time, he likes to play guitar, jam out with his friends, travel with his fiance, and record videos and podcast episodes.
	Christopher Hurd churd@elcamino.edu FIRST Program Counselor Christopher Hurd received an AA in Liberal Arts from Santa Monica College, transferred to University of California, Los Angeles and earned a BA in Sociology. He earned a Master of Arts in Counseling from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to coming to El Camino College as a Counselor, Chris spent nearly a decade in K-12 mostly as a College Counselor and High School Administrator. Most recently, Chris was the Director of Programs for Southern California at an educational nonprofit named CollegeSpring. Counseling really chose me more so than me choosing it. While attending Santa Monica College, my experiences with my counselors Sherri Bradford and Cassandra Patillo in the Black Collegians Program had a profound impact on my life trajectory. Their encouragement as well as their willingness to consistently challenge me to push harder and strive to be better really made me want more for myself. That experience has driven me to want to provide that same sort of support for our students as I know what kind of impact it can have. If I could encourage a student to do anything, it would be to embrace the struggle. The focus needs to be on reaching the ultimate goal, if it takes a day, a week, multiple years, it is worth the effort. Take advantage of the resources. Advocate for yourself as no one should have more interest in your success than you.
	Martin Leyva, M.A El Camino College Sociology Faculty Member Martin Leyva is a faculty member in Sociology at El Camino College and FIRST Resiliency Club Advisor. Leyva is a first generation, formerly incarcerated Chicano scholar and a doctoral student at the University of California-San Diego in Education. Leyva has a B.A. in Liberal Arts & Psych, and an M.A. in Sociology whose focus is in Convict/Critical Criminology and Justice Studies. He institutionalized the Transitions Program, which offers therapeutic and educational opportunities for formerly incarcerated and system-impacted students at multiple community colleges. My favorite thing is being a father to my two daughters, and being a dog-dad. Hobbies include reading for pleasure, powerlifting, creating art including silversmithing, cooking and caring for houseplants.
	Jahanzaib Anwar FIRST Program Student Worker My name is Jahanzaib Anwar and I am a student worker at the FIRST program. I am also the president of the Resiliency FIRST student club which is the first club at El Camino College for formerly incarcerated and system impacted students. I am formerly incarcerated as well and while I was incarcerated, one of my biggest regrets in life was that I never had a chance to complete community college and transfer to a University. I came home in the Summer of 2022. By Spring 2023, I had enrolled at El Camino College and I was eligible to transfer to a four-year University in Fall 2023. I am honored to say that with the help of FIRST and my family, I have begun my journey at California State University Long Beach studying Healthcare Administration this Spring. This is a big achievement for me. I am looking to pursue a career in Healthcare to help people with Substance Use Disorders and other Mental illnesses. I enjoy working with FIRST because I know how important it is for formerly incarcerated individuals to have someone who has been in their shoes support them with their educational journey. I look forward to working with you and assisting you achieve your academic goals!