ACAP Youth Services Division Leadership Team
Rachel P. Paras, Youth Services Director
Rachel joined ACAP in June 2010. She comes to ACAP with strong youth development and program management experience. Prior to ACAP, Rachel was the Executive Director of Oasis For Girls (a project of the Tides Center), an arts and leadership program for girls in San Francisco. She attributes the burgeoning of her youth development career to the knowledge activists and founding members of Project PULL Academy, a summer leadership challenge and college preview for Pilipino American high school students. Rachel was a founding team member and the summer 2000 program director. Rachel has lived in the Bay Area since 1989 with the exception of a two-year hiatus in which she implemented a community based, art and technology program for youth working at Brown University’s Swearer Center for Public Service in Providence, Rhode Island. She is committed to working with creative and educational programs in urban communities working towards long term social change. Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.
(510) 690-8546 x 307
[email protected]
Mike Rubio, Employment Training Academy Manager
(510) 690-8546 x 308
[email protected]
Beth Ransom, Tri-CETA Site Coordinator
Beth comes to ACAP with over six years experience in employment counseling. Her passion lies in working with youth to become the best that they can regardless of the barriers they may face. In her role, she works aligns with community partners and youth themselves to feel self empowered, so they can dream big and be successful. Beth has a bachelors in Criminal Justice from Eastern Washington University.
(510) 794-2957
[email protected]
Gabriella Castillo, Interim BETA Site Coordinator
Gabby is a recent graduate from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Originally from Southern California, she has resided in the Bay Area for about six years. She has worked with youth through student and community spaces since the beginning of her undergraduate career providing a wide array of workshops addressing issues such as identity, community, indigeniety, gangs. Most recently, Gabby has worked with women's health rights, advocating on young women's behalf in the medical and social services fields. She has also worked with youth in the education field as an afterschool educator and enrichment provider. Gabby plans to continue working and advocating for youth.
(510) 481-0272
[email protected]
Cinnamon Zavala, GED Coordinator
Cinnamon is ACAP's GED Coordinator. Helping people is not a job for her; it's her love. She has been working with high risk youth for almost four year and she loves every minute! Cinnamon was raised in Germany and in Mississippi then came to California in 1991. Her earlier career was in accounts payables and receivables. Cinnamon plan to have a higher success record in 2011 by having more than 200 members sign up for GED preparation and having an even bigger graduation than the 25 students who walked last summer. With her drive and passion for her work, we are confident that she will exceed that goal. (510) 794-2957
[email protected]
Dianamaria Baciarelli, AmeriCorps Program Manager
Dianamaria joined ACAP in the fall of 2009. Prior to ACAP, she served as Mercy Housing's Resident Services Coordinator for the Bermuda Gardens and Casa Verde Apartments for approximately seven years. Dianamaria received an AA degree in Criminal Justice from Chabot College and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Mills College. Dianamaria has been actively invovled in ACAP's service area working closely with Davis Street Family Resource Center and serving on local committees such as SAFE Ashland Neighborhood org (Good Neighbor Award 2005), the SLZ Youth Collaborative, the Ashland Health Collaborative and Ashland Violence Prevention Committee. She is an active organizer for programs such as serving on the Annual Cinco De Mayo committee for 10 years. Dianamaria is extremeley knowledgeable about community resources in our service area and is a great asset to the AmeriCorps program and ACAP as a whole.
(510) 690-8546 x 304
[email protected]
Susanna Chi, AmeriCorps Member Coordinator
Susanna has been working in the public sector for about 4-5 years. She has worked with the Boys & Girls Club of San Leandro, YMCA of San Francisco, and other non-profit organizations both coordinating programs and managing volunteers. Susanna has also volunteered for two years as a youth leader of high school girls, acting as a mentor and organizing community outreach projects. Currently, she serves as the the Program Coordinator for ACAP’s Heart of Eden AmeriCorps Program and directly supervise 37 AmeriCorps Members who are helping at risk youth find employment and continue pathways to higher education and success.
(510) 690-8546 x 305
[email protected]
Lester Herrera, Youth Transition Coordinator
(510) 690-8546 x 306
[email protected]
Melissa Boatner, Tri-CETA Youth Advocate
Melissa graduated from San Diego State University in 2009 with a double degree in Sociology and Political Science. In her role as Youth Advocate, she supports the expansion of services for youth residing in Fremont, Union City and Newark. Melissa's goal is to fight poverty by providing youth with educational and training opportunities to give youth the tools needed to be productive members of society. Melissa was hired after serving a year as an Employment Readiness Facilitator at our BETA site and summer youth employment program. This fall, she will matriculate to law school.
(510) 794-2957
[email protected]
Jose' Hernandez, SETA Youth Advocate
(510) 783-0272
[email protected]
Jesus DeLaRosa, BETA Youth Intern/Program Assistant
(510) 481-0272
Rachel joined ACAP in June 2010. She comes to ACAP with strong youth development and program management experience. Prior to ACAP, Rachel was the Executive Director of Oasis For Girls (a project of the Tides Center), an arts and leadership program for girls in San Francisco. She attributes the burgeoning of her youth development career to the knowledge activists and founding members of Project PULL Academy, a summer leadership challenge and college preview for Pilipino American high school students. Rachel was a founding team member and the summer 2000 program director. Rachel has lived in the Bay Area since 1989 with the exception of a two-year hiatus in which she implemented a community based, art and technology program for youth working at Brown University’s Swearer Center for Public Service in Providence, Rhode Island. She is committed to working with creative and educational programs in urban communities working towards long term social change. Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.
(510) 690-8546 x 307
[email protected]
Mike Rubio, Employment Training Academy Manager
(510) 690-8546 x 308
[email protected]
Beth Ransom, Tri-CETA Site Coordinator
Beth comes to ACAP with over six years experience in employment counseling. Her passion lies in working with youth to become the best that they can regardless of the barriers they may face. In her role, she works aligns with community partners and youth themselves to feel self empowered, so they can dream big and be successful. Beth has a bachelors in Criminal Justice from Eastern Washington University.
(510) 794-2957
[email protected]
Gabriella Castillo, Interim BETA Site Coordinator
Gabby is a recent graduate from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Originally from Southern California, she has resided in the Bay Area for about six years. She has worked with youth through student and community spaces since the beginning of her undergraduate career providing a wide array of workshops addressing issues such as identity, community, indigeniety, gangs. Most recently, Gabby has worked with women's health rights, advocating on young women's behalf in the medical and social services fields. She has also worked with youth in the education field as an afterschool educator and enrichment provider. Gabby plans to continue working and advocating for youth.
(510) 481-0272
[email protected]
Cinnamon Zavala, GED Coordinator
Cinnamon is ACAP's GED Coordinator. Helping people is not a job for her; it's her love. She has been working with high risk youth for almost four year and she loves every minute! Cinnamon was raised in Germany and in Mississippi then came to California in 1991. Her earlier career was in accounts payables and receivables. Cinnamon plan to have a higher success record in 2011 by having more than 200 members sign up for GED preparation and having an even bigger graduation than the 25 students who walked last summer. With her drive and passion for her work, we are confident that she will exceed that goal. (510) 794-2957
[email protected]
Dianamaria Baciarelli, AmeriCorps Program Manager
Dianamaria joined ACAP in the fall of 2009. Prior to ACAP, she served as Mercy Housing's Resident Services Coordinator for the Bermuda Gardens and Casa Verde Apartments for approximately seven years. Dianamaria received an AA degree in Criminal Justice from Chabot College and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Mills College. Dianamaria has been actively invovled in ACAP's service area working closely with Davis Street Family Resource Center and serving on local committees such as SAFE Ashland Neighborhood org (Good Neighbor Award 2005), the SLZ Youth Collaborative, the Ashland Health Collaborative and Ashland Violence Prevention Committee. She is an active organizer for programs such as serving on the Annual Cinco De Mayo committee for 10 years. Dianamaria is extremeley knowledgeable about community resources in our service area and is a great asset to the AmeriCorps program and ACAP as a whole.
(510) 690-8546 x 304
[email protected]
Susanna Chi, AmeriCorps Member Coordinator
Susanna has been working in the public sector for about 4-5 years. She has worked with the Boys & Girls Club of San Leandro, YMCA of San Francisco, and other non-profit organizations both coordinating programs and managing volunteers. Susanna has also volunteered for two years as a youth leader of high school girls, acting as a mentor and organizing community outreach projects. Currently, she serves as the the Program Coordinator for ACAP’s Heart of Eden AmeriCorps Program and directly supervise 37 AmeriCorps Members who are helping at risk youth find employment and continue pathways to higher education and success.
(510) 690-8546 x 305
[email protected]
Lester Herrera, Youth Transition Coordinator
(510) 690-8546 x 306
[email protected]
Melissa Boatner, Tri-CETA Youth Advocate
Melissa graduated from San Diego State University in 2009 with a double degree in Sociology and Political Science. In her role as Youth Advocate, she supports the expansion of services for youth residing in Fremont, Union City and Newark. Melissa's goal is to fight poverty by providing youth with educational and training opportunities to give youth the tools needed to be productive members of society. Melissa was hired after serving a year as an Employment Readiness Facilitator at our BETA site and summer youth employment program. This fall, she will matriculate to law school.
(510) 794-2957
[email protected]
Jose' Hernandez, SETA Youth Advocate
(510) 783-0272
[email protected]
Jesus DeLaRosa, BETA Youth Intern/Program Assistant
(510) 481-0272
