Gerardo Arellano (he/him/his)

Executive Director of HSI Initiatives and RRC Director

Gerardo N. Arellano earned his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley and his B.A. from UC San Diego, both in Comparative Ethnic Studies. He currently serves as the inaugural Director of the Raza Resource Centro at UC San Diego. His research focuses on trans-border cultures and migrations, decolonial pedagogies, and Latinx post-secondary educational achievement and retention.

Dr. Arellano has extensive experience supporting underserved students of color across community, high school, and university settings. He is deeply committed to mentoring and advising both undergraduate and graduate students, as well as leading strategic planning, curriculum design, program development, and assessment initiatives. Passionate about empowering students, he enjoys guiding them toward scholarships, internships, research opportunities, and conference participation.

Claudia Martinez (she/her/hers)

Associate Director of the RRC and HSI Family Programs

Claudia Martinez currently serves as the Acting Director of the Raza Resource Centro for University of California, San Diego. Claudia has been with the RRC since it’s inaguration in 2014. In her tenure, she has orchestrated the conception and growth of Latine focused initiatives and campus wide programming, including co-architecting a Latinx focused orientation track and the evolution and institutionalization of Celebrando Éxitos, a graduation-style event. From 2019-2022 she oversaw the expansion and relocation of the Centro facilities and operations. Since 2022 she oversees parent engagement opportunities for prospective and current families, including a partnership with Parent Institute for Quality Education. She was recently awarded the Community Partnership Team Player Award for student centered collaborative programming and initiatives with campus stakeholders. In Fall 2025 she accepted the position of Acting Director of the Centro. Claudia has over 15yrs of experience in student affairs, primarily engaging in the success and retention of underrepresented first gen students.

See Claudia for:

• Celebrando Éxitos
• Latinx Family Orientation
• Parent engagement
• Yield Events and partnerships
• Campus Wide programming

Omar Padilla (he/him/his/él)

Associate Director of Academic Initiatives  

Omar is originally from Santa Monica, California, where he grew up in the Pico neighborhood. His family has migrated between Santa Monica and Los Altos de Jalisco for three generations, and Omar is the first in his family born in the U.S. He also identifies as a first-generation college student, having earned his undergraduate degree from UC Santa Cruz in Latin American/Latino Studies and Politics. While at UCSC, he participated in the ChALE peer-mentoring program, served as a residential college RA, and helped establish a chapter of a Latino-based fraternity.

Before joining UCSD, Omar worked at Santa Monica College with the Black Collegians and Adelante Programs while completing his master’s in Mexican American/Chicanx Studies at CSU Los Angeles. He arrived at UCSD in 2013 to pursue a Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies, focusing on “queer public memory.” His dissertation examines public responses to the deaths of Mexican singer Juan Gabriel, Mexican-born makeup artist Jacob Yebale, and the PULSE Nightclub shooting, exploring how public mourning creates a queer afterlife. Omar’s research highlights how public forms of remembrance empower LGBTQIA+ individuals to imagine and narrate possibilities for queer life.

At UCSD, Omar has supported undergraduate students as a STARS Advocate, SPACES Grad Mentor, and Instructor in both the DOC Writing Program and the Ethnic Studies Department. He is passionate about building graduate student community and has contributed to this through roles at the Grad Division and Engaged Teaching Hub.

Omar is excited to serve as Associate Director for Academic Initiatives at the Raza Resource Centro, continuing to collaborate with the RRC team to create spaces where students can cultivate a thriving community of scholars.

Monica Gonzalez (she/her/Ella)

Student Life Operations Specialist 

Monica Gonzalez is the Student Life Operations Specialist at the Raza Resource Centro (RRC), where she oversees the RRC Internship Program, assesses campus-wide needs for Latinx student organizations, and ensures the smooth operation of the Centro. She holds a Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership.

Before joining the RRC, Monica built extensive experience in student support and leadership development. She worked with commuter students at the University of San Diego’s Commuter Commons, served as a Residential Director for Summer Bridge and Summer Sessions at UC Berkeley through the ACUHO-I Housing Internship Program, and contributed to the McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program under Dr. Frances Contreras, researching extracurricular engagement among Latinx first-generation students. Monica also supported student transitions as a Peer Mentor for the Summer Bridge OASIS program.

Monica is passionate about service leadership, mentorship, and community-building. Her graduate research focused on fostering engagement, leadership, and a sense of belonging among commuter students.

Outside of her professional work, Monica enjoys walking, painting, spending time with her pet, and exploring new cuisines. Monica is honored to contribute to the RRC’s mission of advancing student empowerment, leadership, and community at UC San Diego and throughout the San Diego region.

Ivvan Reyna (She/Ella/He/El)

Facilities and Operations Coordinator  

Ivvan Reyna is the Facilities and Operations Coordinator at the Raza Resource Centro (RRC) and a first-generation QTPOC student. Born in Moreno Valley, California, and raised in Nestor near the San Ysidro border, Ivvan grew up bilingual in Spanish and English and was deeply influenced by Lebanese culture. Their parents, who immigrated from El Salvador and San Luis Potosí, instilled the value of education and sacrifice, which allowed Ivvan to pursue their academic and professional goals.

Ivvan completed their undergraduate studies at UC San Diego, earning a degree in Marine Biology from 2017 to 2022. During this time, they were actively involved with Nu Alpha Kappa Fraternity, Inc., and served as a two-time returning intern at the Raza Resource Centro. After graduation, Ivvan gained experience supporting student success as a temporary administrative assistant at the Raza Resource Centro, Black Resource Center, and Intertribal Resource Center.

Currently, Ivvan is wanting to pursue an MBA at UCSD’s Rady School of Management with a focus on financial growth, leadership, and strategic operations. They are passionate about leveraging their education and experience to support QTPOC student retention, guide students exploring their career paths, and help cultivate meaningful opportunities for personal and professional development.

Ivvan welcomes students and community members to stop by, share ideas, and discuss career goals, critical thinking strategies, or any topic related to growth and opportunity.

Araceli López-Arenas (she/her/ella)

Licensed Psychologist & Raza Resource Centro CAPS Liaison 

Araceli López-Arenas, PhD, MPH was born and raised in San Diego, CA. She is a first-gen college student,  bilingual/bicultural, Spanish-speaking Latina, and became an “educational nomad” as she engaged in a “parallel migration,” crossing state borders to pursue higher education. She earned her BA from UC Irvine, studied abroad in Mexico City at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), participated in the UCDC program, and completed a summer McNair research program at Washington State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology and a Master of Public Health in Social & Behavioral Health from Texas A&M University. She then completed her internship at the VA Pacific Islands Health Care in Hawaii and completed post-doctoral training at UC San Diego and Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital. She currently serves as the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) liaison, hosted at the Raza Resource Centro.

Dr. Araceli has over fifteen years of experience working in healthcare, academia, and community mental health with expertise in psychotherapy, research, program development, implementation, and evaluation, multicultural psychology, and public health psychology, with a focus on health equity. She is now delighted to work in her dream job of addressing the mental health concerns of Latinx/e undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at UCSD. Her mental health specialties include working with first-gen, Latinx/BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrants, entrepreneurs, frontline/healthcare workers, military/Veterans, undergrad/grad students, ABD doctoral students, and focuses on addressing life transitions, culture and gender roles, career, anxiety, depression, substance use, trauma/PTSD, and ADHD, among other co-occurring mental health concerns. She particularly enjoys working with individuals who are new to psychotherapy.

Office: Raza Resource Centro, Pepper Canyon Hall, Level 2

Amber Ureña

Hi, I’m Amber, a 4th-year student at Sixth College. I’m deeply involved in campus life and community service, including leadership and participation in organizations such as CCM, BF Arcoiris del Sur, Flying Samaritans, and Saltman Quarterly. Beyond these roles, I’m passionate about fostering community connections, supporting student initiatives, and contributing to projects that make a meaningful impact both on campus and beyond. I love collaborating with others, learning from diverse perspectives, and taking on opportunities that challenge me to grow academically, socially, and personally.

Grecia Siono Gutierrez

Brianna Ramos

Cecilia De Santos Quezada

Omar Padilla - Associate Director of Academic Initiatives

I’m Dr. Omar Padilla, originally from Santa Monica, California. I’m a proud graduate of UC Santa Cruz and CSU Los Angeles, and I earned my Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego in 2022. My academic work explores themes of identity, community, and public memory within Latinx and LGBTQIA+ contexts.

At UC San Diego, I serve as an advisor to the MALCS (Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambio Social) Chapter, where I’m passionate about supporting students in their academic and personal growth. I enjoy helping students find meaningful research opportunities, strengthen their graduate school applications, and secure scholarships that align with their goals.

I’m deeply committed to mentorship, community building, and empowering students to pursue their academic and professional aspirations with confidence and purpose.

Kenny

QTPOC Initiatives Intern

Lara

Yield and Access Intern

Adi

First Year Experience Intern

Jocelyn

Advertising and Marketing Intern

Adriana

Arte y Cultura Intern

Michel

Community Building Intern

Bryan

Student Org Liaison Intern

Blanca

Transfer Student Program Intern