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Our Staff

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Caryl Montero-Adams  | she, her, hers
Assistant Dean of Students for Student Life

Caryl Montero-Adams serves as the Assistant Dean of Students for Student Life. In her role, she leads the Center for Fraternity & Sorority Life, Center for Student Organizations & Activities, and the Campus Assistance, Response, Engagement, and Support (CARES) program. In addition to these supervisorial roles, Caryl collaboratively leads several strategic efforts within the division, including expanded late night and weekend programming, the implementation of recommendations from the Presidential Task Force on Student Activities and Safety, and hazing prevention efforts at SDSU. 

Prior to her role, Caryl served as the Director of Student Life & Leadership, Assistant Director of SLL for Fraternity & Sorority Life, and as a Residence Hall Coordinator. She earned a bachelor of science in education degree in health promotion and education from the University of Cincinnati and a masters of science in education degree in higher education and student affairs from Indiana University. Caryl has been honored by the division with the Strengthening Connection to SDSU, Excellence in Student Development, and Exceptional New Professional awards. Caryl serves as Co-President of the Board of Directors for the San Diego Leadership Alliance and volunteers as the Alumnae Initiate Experience Consultant for Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. 

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Christine Molina  | she, her, hers
Assistant Dean of Students for Co-Curricular Programs and Student Support 
[email protected]

As Assistant Dean of Students for Co-Curricular and Student Support, Molina provides vision and leadership to promote student success and a high quality of student life, engagement, and development.  She has responsibility for the Center for Commuter Life and the Glazer Center for Leadership and Service, and provides leadership to the coordinated care advising and affinity group programs. She also collaboratively leads the division’s utilization of SDSU Navigate (EAB).

Christine has been a dedicated member of the SDSU community for 16 years, holding leadership roles supporting undergraduate academic advising and student success.  Most recently, she served as the Director of Advising and Evaluations, and provided leadership to undergraduate campus advisors.  Previously, she served as Associate Director of Advising and Evaluations, Academic Coordinator/Advisor for Compact Scholars, and Adviser/Evaluator.  She is a member of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), and has worked closely with CSU Directors of Academic Advising. Christine earned a bachelor of arts degree in human development from the University of California San Diego and a master of arts degree in postsecondary educational leadership with a specialization in student affairs from San Diego State University. 

 

Center for Commuter Life

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Eunice Flores | she, her, hers
Assistant Director, Center for Commuter Life
[email protected] 

Eunice Flores serves as the Assistant Director for the Center for Commuter Life at San Diego State University. She is from Chula Vista down south of SDSU. Her transformative college experience is what led her to pursue a career in Higher Education. Eunice is a proud two time alumna of SDSU receiving a bachelor's in Psychology and a master's degree in Educational Leadership.


Eunice has held various positions at SDSU for the past 9 years. She served as Lead Coordinator in the Office New Student Orientation welcoming thousands of new students and families and led a full day Spanish parent orientation program.  She held a position as a Career Counselor at SDSU Career Services where she served students in the College of Arts of Letters and Professional Studies & Fine Arts with their career development. In her role now as Assistant Director for the Center for Commuter Life provides leadership and support initiatives and efforts that contribute to commuter success.  Eunice has developed and maintained working relationships with many campus partners across campus to support Student Success Pathways, mentoring and workshops. As a former commuter student herself she understands the commuter experience and is dedicated to helping commuter students thrive during their time at SDSU. 

 

 

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Helen Ma | she, her, hers
General Advisor & Retention Specialist, Commuter Life
[email protected]

Helen Ma serves as a General Advisor & Retention Specialist at San Diego State University. Helen is a San Diego native. She attended San Diego State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Administration as well as her Masters of Arts degree in Postsecondary Educational Leadership. 

In her role, Helen serves first year, second year and transfer commuter students through various mentoring programs. She also programs and develops events for the Commuter Resource Center to promote commuter student engagement. Helen is very passionate about connecting students to all that SDSU has to offer. Outside of Commuter Life, Helen advises Sigma Alpha Zeta, a multicultural sorority on campus. When she isn’t working, she loves to workout, cook and shop at Costco. 

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Sarah Mercado | she, her, hers
General Advisor & Retention Specialist, Commuter Life 
[email protected]

Sarah Mercado is a General Advisor & Retention Specialist at San Diego State University and a two-time alumna of SDSU. While commuting to campus, she earned her bachelors in sociology and masters in educational leadership from SDSU. Sarah has worked in several roles on campus, including serving as an academic advisor for both graduate and undergraduate students in the Fowler College of Business. She is committed to helping students meet their academic goals through caring and inclusive advising. As a native San Diegan who grew up in Chula Vista, Sarah comes from a long line of Aztecs. Her grandfather attended SDSU in the 1930’s, her father in the 1960’s, and her sister in the 1990’s. When she is not at work, Sarah enjoys hanging out with family and friends, enjoying delicious food, and reading.  

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Heather LaPerle | she, her, hers
General Advisor & Retention Specialist, Commuter Life
[email protected]

Heather LaPerle is a General Advisor & Retention Specialist for the Center for Commuter Life at San Diego State University. She is a proud double alumna having earned her Administration Bachelor of Science Degree in  Recreation and Masters of Arts degree in Postsecondary Educational Leadership. 

Heather has worked in several areas at SDSU including Fowler Center for Student Success, Career Services, and the Compact Scholars Program. Heather is dedicated to helping students actualize their goals while they explore their passions. Outside of work, Heather loves attending SDSU basketball games, theatre, hiking, backpacking and fundraising for Make-A-Wish. 

 

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Itzel Estrada | she, her, hers
Commuter & Transfer Student Success Coach
[email protected]
Itzel serves as the Commuter and Transfer Student Success Coach at the Center for Commuter Life. She holds an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts from Cosumnes River College and dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in American Studies and Sociology from UC Davis. Passionate about leadership, well-being, and media, Itzel enjoys movies, self-empowerment podcasts, and exploring the beauty of California.

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Vince Palou | he, him, his
General Advisor & Retention Specialist
[email protected]


Vincent Palou is a General Advisor & Retention Specialist at San Diego State University and an SDSU alumni. He holds a Bachelors in Integrated Marketing Communications and a Masters of Science in Strategic Communications and Public Relations. As a first-generation college student, he was inspired to explore a career in higher education and help others in need of navigating the college experience. Starting his career as a student worker, Vince has worked in higher education for over 15 years with experience in various roles in enrollment services, admissions, counseling and outreach, the Office of the Registrar, and has also served as part of a scholarship committee for transfer students. He aims to empower his students through a developmental advising approach to help them build self-sufficiency and autonomy. Outside of work, Vince works as a personal trainer at the YMCA and enjoys music, boxing, and reading in his free time.

 

Pierce Greek Life Center

 
 

 

Position Vacant
Student Life Advisor for the Center for Fraternity & Sorority Life 

Contact: [email protected]

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Ben Meondoza

Assistant Coordinator, Pierce Greek Life Center 

[email protected] 

Ben Mendoza is an Assistant Coordinator for the Pierce Greek Life Center and first-year resident building Zura on campus at SDSU. He is a first-generation Latino graduate student in the Masters of Arts Postsecondary Educational Leadership and Student Affairs program. He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Human Services with a concentration in Mental Health from California State University, Fullerton.

 

Glazer Center for Leadership & Service

 

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Chelsea Lombrozo | she, her, hers
Assistant Director, Leadership & Service

[email protected]

Chelsea is the Assistant Director for the Glazer Center for Leadership & Service at San Diego State University. She is originally from Los Angeles, California and attended Sonoma State University for her undergraduate career where she received degrees in Psychology and Business. She is also a proud Alumna of San Diego State University where she earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership.

Chelsea’s role allows her to work with all students to encourage them to realize their leadership potential. She does this through one on one advising, workshop facilitation and manages large scale event planning. She oversees of many landmark campus programs such as the Aztec CORE leadership retreat, SDSU Leadership Summit conference, Aztec Unity Project service learning program and the Quest for the Best top leadership awards. Chelsea is also a Myers-Briggs certified practitioner and CliftonStrengths coach. She believes these personality and leadership assessments are great tools to empower students to realize their potential and articulate their leadership value. While not at work, Chelsea enjoys traveling and trying new restaurants.

 

Brookland Gordon

Brookland Gordon | she, her, hers
Student Life Advisor, Community Service 

[email protected]

Brookland is the Student Life Advisor for Community Service for the Glazer Center for Leadership & Service at San Diego State University. She is a Tennessee native who attended Tennessee Technological University for her undergraduate career where she received a degree in Secondary Education, with minors in Biology and Communication. She went on to earn her master’s degree in College Student Affairs Administration from the University of West Florida. Previously she has worked with Student Government, Campus Activities, and Fraternity and Sorority Life.

Brookland’s role allows her to work with all students to encourage them to participate in and grow through service learning in their community. She does this through one-on-one advising, workshop facilitation and managing service-related student organizations. She leads the Aztec Unity Project service learning program and assists in planning and executing many additional campus programs such as the Aztec CORE leadership retreat, SDSU Leadership Summit conference and the Quest for the Best top leadership awards. She believes in leadership development and the strength of the Aztec community. You can find Brookland in the Student Life office and the Glazer Center for Leadership & Service. In her free time, Brookland enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog, cat & partner, traveling near & far, working on her next DIY, and exploring all the local foodie locations.

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Liana Marin | she, her, hers
Student Life Advisor, Leadership 

[email protected]

Liana Marin joins the Glazer Center for Leadership & Service as the Student Life Advisor for Leadership. Liana is a proud SDSU alumna who received a B.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology with a minor in Leadership and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies from the Weber Honors College. She also earned her M.Ed. in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs from the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education. Liana has previously served as the Leadership Development Coordinator for Associated Students Inc. at CSU Dominguez Hills and the Coordinator for Student-Athlete Development at CSU Long Beach. Her professional experience has focused on developing holistic programs for specialized populations such as student-athletes, student-government leaders, fraternity and sorority life, and cultural communities.

Liana will support the Glazer Center for Leadership & Service in their signature leadership programs such as Aztec CORE Leadership Retreat, the SDSU Leadership Summit, Homecoming, and the Quest for the Best Vice Presidential Student Service Award. Liana is excited to return back to the SDSU family and empower student leaders to engage in transformative self-discovery initiatives that enrich the lives of the communities we serve and represent.

 

Center For Student Organizations and Activities 

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Kayla Wilkins | she, her, hers
Student Life Advisor for Student Organizations and Activities
[email protected]

Kayla received a Bachelor’s in Criminology & Justice Studies with a minor in Sociology  from Cal State San Marcos. She got masters in Higher Education Leadership from the University of San Diego. Currently she oversee's the political, recreational, cultural amd religious based organizations as well as ONESDSU. She is from Oceanside, CA.

 

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Dana Haxby | she, her, hers
Student Life Advisor for Student Organizations and Activities
[email protected]

Dana received their Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and American Studies from California State University of Fullerton with a minors in Psychology and Aging Studies. Additionally, she has a Master of Science degree in Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. Dana supports academic clubs, honors societies, and SDSU Imperial Valley Recognized Student Organizations.

 

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Tyler Lum | he, him, his
Assistant Coordinator, Residential Education Office & Center for Student Organizations and Activities
[email protected]

Assistant Coordinator for Recognized Student Organizations and first-year building Tenochca. Tyler Lum attended Chapman University for their undergraduate degree for a Bachelors of Arts in Education. And now, they are a graduate student in the Master’s of Arts Postsecondary Educational Leadership and Student Affairs at SDSU. Tyler was born and raised in Orange County, specifically Cypress.

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Chloe Marie Garcia | she, they, siya
Assistant Coordinator, Residential Education Office & Center for Student Organizations and Activities
[email protected]

Chloe Marie is an Assistant Coordinator for Student Activities and first-year resident building Huaxyacac on campus at SDSU. They are a first-generation Filipina graduate student in the Masters of Arts Postsecondary Educational Leadership in Student Affairs program. They recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Health and Social Welfare concentration from California State University of Fullerton.

 

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Delaney Love | she, her, hers
Assistant Student Life Advisor, Center for Student Organizations and Activities
[email protected]

Delaney Love just graduated from the Post-secondary Educational Leadership Specialization Student Affairs (PELSA) program at SDSU! She is originally from Lake County, CA a small town in Northern California. She received their undergraduate degree from California State University, Chico in Sociology and French.

 

 

 

Position Vacant
Assistant Coordinator, Residential Education Office & Center for Student Organizations and Activities

 

 

 

Position Vacant
Associate Director, Center for Student Organizations & Activities

 

 

 

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Kevin Araujo-Lipine | he, him, his
Director, Center for Student Organizations and Activities
[email protected] 

Kevin Araujo-Lipine (he/him) serves as the Director of the Center for Student Organizations & Activities. In this role, he provides strategic leadership and support for Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs), the Event Application System (EAS), Aztec Nights late-night programming, One SDSU Community, SDSU Go!, and Summer Nights. Kevin has been a member of the SDSU community since 2018, where he started as the Assistant Director for Student Organizations & Activities, and most recently supported the Center for Student Rights & Responsibilities serving in the Associate Director role.

Kevin brings a portfolio of leadership experiences in residential life, orientation, student activities, diversity and inclusion, student engagement, student and organizational conduct, and large-scale programming. Kevin attended North Central College in Naperville, Illinois where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and minors in Secondary Education and Organizational Leadership. He went on to attain a master’s degree in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. Kevin is actively involved in the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), including past leadership roles as the Co-Chair for the Gender and Sexuality Knowledge Community (KC), and a NASPA Undergraduate Fellows Program (NUFP) Mentor. Kevin enjoys spending time with his family and friends, cooking, being a Disney nerd, and traveling.

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Rachel Freeman-Cohen | She/They
Student Life Advisor for Campus Events & Alternative Programs
[email protected]

Rachel Freeman-Cohen serves as a Student Life Advisor for Campus Events and Alternative Programs at San Diego State University. Rachel graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Feminist Studies and a Minor in Politics. Additionally, they are an alumna of the University of Southern California where she received her Master of Education in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs. 

Rachel has an extensive background in working with identity-based student populations, specifically the LGBTQIA+ community. They come from a small, private, liberal arts college where she served as the Inaugural Director of LGBTQIA+ Student Services. Rachel is excited to join the CSOA team and create a campus community where fun and engaging events are available for college students to have a memorable experience at SDSU. Specifically, Rachel manages the Aztec Nights, Summer Nights, and the SDSU Go! field trip program. When Rachel is outside of the office, you can find them hanging out with their fur babies and exploring different parts of Southern California.

 

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Alba Alonzo | she, her, hers
Administrative Support Coordinator
[email protected]  |  619-594-3526

Alba is the Administrative Support Coordinator for the Student Life & Leadership Department at San Diego State University. Alba was born in San Diego but raised in the small town of Culiacan SInaloa Mexico. She attended the University of Baja California and earned her bachelor’s degree in International Business under the first generation of the NEXUS program with San Diego State earning her MS in Business Administration.


Alba performs all the administrative duties in support of work unit operation and coordination work activities including setting up and maintaining office procedures relate to specific academic programs or administrative office; developing documents involving the use of software features such as charts, tables and graphics, providing lead work direction and coordinating unit workflow’ performing administrative duties and/or project work direction and coordination related to programs, policies and procedures’ organizing and arranging special events and related activities.