Contact Us

Chicanx/Latinx Student Success Center at SJSU

Email: chicanxlatinxssc@sjsu.edu 

Main Phone: 408-924-5102

Office Location
Diaz Compean Student Union
Room 1340 (across from Jamba Juice)

Mailing Address
Chicanx/Latinx Student Success Center
San José State University
One Washington Square
San Jose, CA  95192-0196

Staff Directory

Program Director

Currently Vacant

Program Coordinator

Selene Ramirez
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Email: selene.ramirez@sjsu.edu
Phone: 408-924-5014

Selene is a first-generation, queer Chicana from Sacramento, CA. Her parents immigrated from Jalisco, Mexico in the early 1990s to Los Angeles, California. Selene was born in Los Angeles and lived there in her early childhood years until her family moved her and her two younger siblings to Sacramento, CA where she primarily grew up. Selene is the first in her family to attend college, she attended Sacramento City College where she then transferred to Sacramento State University. During her time in undergrad she never fully felt supported by her campus community and oftentimes felt isolated and unwelcomed on campus. It was during her time at Sacramento State, in her Chicanx Studies classes where she truly found her community on campus. Selene always knew she wanted to help students like herself navigate the barriers and challenges that come with not only being a first-generation college student, but working class, Latinx and queer.

• Read Selene Ramirez's Full Bio

  • Selene is a first-generation, queer Chicana from Sacramento, CA. Her parents immigrated from Jalisco, Mexico in the early 1990s to Los Angeles, California. Selene was born in Los Angeles and lived there in her early childhood years until her family moved her and her two younger siblings to Sacramento, CA where she primarily grew up. Selene is the first in her family to attend college, she attended Sacramento City College where she then transferred to Sacramento State University. During her time in undergrad she never fully felt supported by her campus community and oftentimes felt isolated and unwelcomed on campus. It was during her time at Sacramento State, in her Chicanx Studies classes where she truly found her community on campus. Selene always knew she wanted to help students like herself navigate the barriers and challenges that come with not only being a first-generation college student, but working class, Latinx and queer.

    After graduating with her B.A. in Chicanx Studies, Selene began her career in higher education in 2018 at Cosumnes River College. Selene served as the inaugural Program Assistant for the Dream Center on campus where she worked directly with undocumented students and students of mixed-status families by providing services and resources and implementing programming to achieve their academic goals. Selene also served as a Student Program Specialist at San Joaquin Delta College in the Dual Enrollment Program, in this role Selene was assigned to work with high school students from minoritized communities to give equal access to higher education opportunities by providing free college-level courses in both Transfer and Career Pathways. 

    
    In her most recent role, Selene served as a University Recruiter at Meta Inc. In this role, Selene worked to recruit and hire more diverse talent to give software engineer internship opportunities to students from marginalized groups and was also assigned to assist in the supervision of over 50 student interns from Mexico. Selene worked continuously to support and promote racial equity and inclusion within the company and ensure that student interns were offered full-time positions after their completion of their internship. 

    
    In her new role as the Program Coordinator of the Chicanx/Latinx Student Success Center, Selene is looking forward to bringing her professional and personal experiences to provide mentorship through a holistic and intersectional approach, and create a welcoming and empowering space for our Latinx students. 

    
    In her free time, Selene enjoys spending time with her friends and family, and her two cats, Mango and Loki. Selene also enjoys nature walks, reading, trying out new food and coffee places, and loves the farmers market back home in Sacramento, CA. 

Student Success Leaders

Adriana Sanchez
Pronouns: She/Her
Class Level: Fourth Year
Major: Psychology

I am a San Jose native and 100% Salvi proud! I am beyond excited and grateful to be representing Centro this year. My goal is to help people reach their full potential and be comfortable and happy in whatever they do. Outside of school, I love to travel, try new food, crochet, read and spend time with friends. My favorite things in life include my cafecito in the morning and of course, mi familia! 

Alberto Jose Chacon Arias
Pronouns: He/Him
Class Level: Third Year
Major: Business Administration, Concentration in Finance

I hope all is good! My name is Alberto Chacon; you can call me Albert, Beto, or Chacon. I grew up in a small agricultural town in Monterey County. I am the youngest of three and a first-gen student who thankfully had the help of my older siblings to navigate through university. I am a third year transitioning from Engineering to Finance. My decision has made school much more difficult, but I stay true to my decisions. I stumbled across Centro through a friend and I have been drawn to their office space ever since. A fun fact about me: when I want to clear my head I find doing outdoor activities calming and relaxing.

Arianna Ramos
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Class Level: Junior
Major: Business Administration

Hey everyone! My name is Arianna Ramos, and I am a first generation college student who is also half Mexican and half Guatemalan! :) I am currently pursuing a degree in Business Administration with hopes of one day becoming a global and influential business woman. I grew up in the bay area and I am originally from Hayward, California. What drew me to come work for Centro is I wanted to be able to help by being a support system for students that need help learning more about the resources offered at SJSU and also create a sense of community. In addition to that, as a Student Success leader, I also wanted to have the opportunity to gain more experience and stronger skills in leadership.

Carolina Medina
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Class Level: Senior
Major: Chicanx Studies
Minor: Public Administration and Public Policy 

Hi y’all! I’m Carolina, first-generation college student and the oldest in my family, I’ve lived in San Jose all of my life so I have a lot of love for the city and SJSU. During my first year as a Student Success Leader, I was able to grow both personally and professionally through new experiences and meeting new people. 

Nayeli Tostado
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Class Level: Senior, transfer student
Major: Graphic Design

Hola a todxs! I’m a Graphic design Major with the intent to minor in Chicanx Studies. I was born in Jalisco and raised in San Francisco, CA. Having moved to San José and now being a commuter, I practically live on campus, so Centro has played a key role in feeling like I have a place to stay and feel welcomed, so as an SSL one of my missions is to help others in a similar situation find their place and make them feel welcomed. My goal with my career is to use my graphic design work as a voice for my comunidad. I love my cultura like you so I find ways to make it part of my life such as through dancing, painting, and of course music.

Ramon (Ray) Rios
Pronouns: He/Him/El
Class Level: Third Year
Major: Chicanx Studies
Minor: Theatre Arts

Ramon is a 1st generation Chicano born and raised in the small coastal town of Davenport, CA. He is the youngest of six siblings and the son of migrant farm-working parents.  He is a filmmaker, actor, musician, and storyteller. Ramon is excited and honored to be working with the community, being a leader and resource to students and folks alike.  Centro is a space that is inclusive, that builds relationships and lasting friendships providing a safe space for everyone with similar and different backgrounds.  These are just a few reasons why Ramon is excited to work with students and the student staff at the Student Success Center (Centro).

Adelante Peer Mentors

Aleyda Lopez-Jean
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Class Level: Second Year
Major: Child and Adolescent Development - Prep for Teaching 
Minor: Special Education: Early Childhood

I was born and raised from San Diego. I wanted to become a mentor to be able to help others around me, I was also a mentee in the Adelante program and it helped me with the transition of college and I would like to do that for incoming freshmen. A fun fact would be that I have a lot of pets, I have 2 dogs, 3 cats, and 3 chickens.

Alina Torres
Pronouns: She/Her
Class Level: Fifth Year
Major: Chicanx Studies & Sociology

I am from San Jose, Ca! My dad is from El Salvador, and my mom is 1st-generation Mexicana. I loved being both Central-American and Mexican growing up since it meant double the cultura, music and family history. I am very passionate about Latinx students taking up space in academia and getting the resources they need to succeed, so when I found out about Centro I fell in love with the space immediately. I am so excited about working at Centro in my last year and being able to mentor students that were once in my position. I can't wait to get to know you! <3

Dayrin Rivas
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Class Level: Third Year
Major: Sociology/Race & Ethnic Studies

Hi everyone! My name is Dayrin Rivas, my pronouns are she/her/ella. I am a third year at SJSU majoring in Sociology/Race & Ethnic Studies. I was born and raised in Oakland, CA but my family is from Guatemala. This will be my second year being a mentor and third year with Centro overall. I was a mentee in the Adelante program my first year! As a first gen student I struggled with imposter syndrome when first arriving at SJSU. However, through the support of my mentor and the community that has been created at Centro I was able to find a sense of belonging and support in easing my transition into a four year university. I now have the opportunity to help you have a successful and memorable experience at San Jose State University! 

Emiliano Dominguez
Pronouns: He/Him
Class Level: Second Year
Major: Business

I'm from San Jose, California. I was born in san jose and grew up there all my life. My family is from Guadalajara,  they moved when they were kids I became a mentor  to make a positive impact on someone's life because, as a fellow mentee, I've learned a lot from my mentor, and I would like to give back what I have learned.

Evelyn Hinojosa
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Class Level: Third Year
Major: Environmental Studies 

Hello! My name is Evelyn but I go by Evey. I’m from the Central Valley, specifically Visalia. I consider myself a first-gen student even though my two older siblings have gone to college. I have navigated the college process through my own findings and being in the Adelante program. I’m a third-year environmental studies major with a potential biology minor. I have found that my interests align with being involved and being hands-on. My personal aspiration in life is to continue building awareness of environmental equity and get marginalized gente into the conversation.

Evelyn Soriano
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Class Level: Fourth Year
Major: Spanish and English
Minor: Chicanx Studies

Hi hi! My name is Evelyn and I was born and raised in Palm Springs California! This is my second year as a mentor at Centro and I’m beyond excited to be working here again. I was part of the first mentee cohort and I never imagined that I would be working at the place that helped me so much my first year! 

Giovanni Quezada
Pronouns: He/Him/El
Class Level: Third Year
Major: Biology Major
Minor: Chemistry and Complementary and Alternative Health Practices

Hi everyone! I am excited to be a mentor at Centro and build connections! My family is from Jalisco, Mexico and I grew up south of San Jose in Gilroy. I have been working as an EMT for about 4 years and have been in healthcare for about 5 years now, so that has helped me gain direction in what I wanted to study at a university. I want to learn as much as I can so I can be a better healthcare worker and serve my community better. I was drawn to be a mentor because I want to help others find their direction, whatever that may look like to them, and support the SJSU Hispanic/Latino/a/x community along with SJSU as a whole. I am part of the SJSU community and I want to support it in any way I can. I hope to see you at Centro! 

Naomi Martinez
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Class Level: Second Year
Major: Kinesiology
Minor: Chicano/Chicana Studies

Hey everyone! I am Naomi. I was born in the Bay Area, a little city called Antioch. My parents were born and raised in Mexico City. I have 3 older sisters. I am the youngest. Many reasons that encouraged me to become a Peer Mentor is that I admire what Centro does to the community, I saw how encouraging and incredible the program is, and the resources and workshops they provide for you. It certainly got me to get out of my shell for being more socially and going out to the events they hosted and building amazing friendships along the way.

Samantha Rodriguez
Pronouns: She/Her/Ella
Class Level: Third Year
Major: Political Science
Minor: Chicanx Studies

Hola a Todos/a! My name is Samantha Rodriguez and I was born and raised in Palm Springs. Leaving my hometown to come to college seven hours away was definitely a scary moment. I wanted to find a community and space where I could share and relate to others and I was a mentee for the Adelante Program. After my first year at San Jose,  I was then given the opportunity to apply to become a peer mentor and I knew that this was a way to give back to the community and program I was in. Centro has helped mold me into the person I continue to be and has been an impactful part of my journey here. It is my home away from home! Other than that, I hope Centro also becomes a place where you all get to shine and feel a sense of community and belonging. Also, my favorite color is pink and I am a Scorpio!

Sergio Gomez
Pronouns: He/Him/El
Class Level: Senior
Major: Sociology
Minor: Chicanx Studies

My name is Sergio Gomez and my pronouns are he/him/el. It is my final year here as an undergrad and my major is Sociology and I also have a minor in Chicano/x studies. I am Salvadorian and Nicaraguense and grew up mostly in Antioch, California and I went to Los Medanos Community College in Pittsburg, California where I was a part of Puente, an organization focused on helping Latinos transfer to a four-year institution. Having that sense of community with Puente is what drew me in to apply as a peer mentor. Some fun facts about me are that I love exercising whenever I can so I enjoy sports like boxing, soccer, running, bowling, and many more.