Staff

Josefina Canchola

Director of Secondary Programs
Puente

Josefina E. Canchola is an immigrant to the United States. She was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. She is a product of the Los Angeles Unified School District, having had attended Hammel Street School and Belvedere Junior High School. Josefina’s family later moved to Whittier, California where she attended Pioneer High School.

Josefina went to the University of California, Riverside. Where she received a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Sociology. She is the first in her family to receive an undergraduate and graduate degrees. She...

Joshua Smith

Office Manager
CEP Admin

A native of San Francisco, Joshua has resided in Berkeley since the late 1980's. A graduate of Berkeley High School 91', upon graduation, he worked in the retail and banking trades before centering his career path in the field administrative support. A field that lead Joshua to his current role as Office Manager, a position he has held since 2015 with CEP. When Joshua is away from the desk he can be found giving back to the community. Joshua currently is a volunteer Board member for San Francisco LGBT Pride as well as a senior volunteer with Burning Man.

Julia Vergara

Executive Director
Puente
CEP Leadership

Katherine Garcia

Project Analyst
Puente

Kaylyn Ta

Program Coordinator
DCAC
EAOP

Keyanna Hatcher

Director
Pre-College TRiO
ETS
UB
CEP Leadership

Proud native of Inglewood, CA with roots in Birmingham, Alabama, she grew up surrounded by the strength and hard work of Black women who encouraged her to be her best self. She has embodied being well-rounded throughout her lifetime with her commitment to being an athlete and dancer, lifelong learner and active leader in the community. UC Berkeley awakened the educator in her and grew a passion for college preparation and access through her involvement with BRRC and other campus organizations and continues to mentor youth and young professionals across the nation. This is only...

Kisha Quesada Turner

Professional Development Trainer
Puente

Lakeysha Jones

Program Director
NAF at Berkeley
CEP Leadership

Lakeysha has served UC Berkeley for 7 years, and most recently as the East Contra Costa County Regional Manager for Destination College Advising Corps & Early Academic Outreach Program, a role in which she has supervised 7 College Adviser Fellows; provided training, professional development, and guidance for her staff; and collected, analyzed, and evaluated student enrollment, service, and outcomes through data.

Before her role in CEP, Lakeysha served as an Assistant Director in the Office of Undergraduate Admission at UC Berkeley, where...

Larissa Gomez Vazquez

Associate Director of Communications
Puente

Lenika Rivas Sanchez

Program Assistant
Puente

Lenika not only comes to Puente with an impressive background and skill set, she also has a passion for wanting to be involved in equity work for underserved communities that aligns with our program mission. As a first-generation student, she attended Brown University and earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and a B.A. in Latin American & Caribbean Studies. She also spent time in Washington D.C. as an intern for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute. Her most recent job was with the Office of Student Affairs at Columbia University. In addition, Lenika also brings...