Staff Profiles

Crystal has worked in the field of education for 21 years as a paraprofessional, teacher, liaison, advisor and administrator. Crystal joined CIP Long Beach as a Student Advisor in 2015, and has since supported the CIP community in various capacities including Head Student Advisor, Assistant Program Director, and most recently Interim Program Director, where she led CIP Long Beach to continued growth during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rena has worked in the field of business administration.  She joined the College Internship Program in May of 2018 as the Office Manager. She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Strategic Communications in 2017 and holds certifications in Mediation and in Human Resource Management. She previously worked as an administrative assistant in the healthcare industry and has experience as a court mediator, still working occasionally with the Conflict Resolution Institute of VCDS.

Samantha has worked as a facilitator and a therapist in the field of Autism and ADHD for over seven years and is a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. She previously found success in private practice where she worked collaboratively with clients while utilizing culturally sensitive and evidenced-based interventions.

Chris has worked as a psychotherapist for 12 years and has been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist since 2012. Chris has had experience working in a psychiatric hospital and, just prior to working at CIP, at a non-public high school for students with autism, ADHD, and other Learning Differences.

I have been working with students for a decade. My professional experience includes working at Long Beach City College as mentor for Project RISE and an achievement coach for Promise Pathways. I have earned a Bachelor’s in Child Development at CSU Dominguez Hills and love this major.

Bree joined CIP in 2017 as an academic coach. Bree has held different titles within CIP such as student support specialist and interim career coordinator. During her time as an academic coach and student support specialist, Bree found success working with students on their executive functioning skills in Academics, Careers, and Life Skills.

Misty has more than five years of experience in the field of learning differences and autism spectrum disorder as an educator. She recently found success working with students entering into the post-secondary world by tailoring curriculum to help the student succeed in the transition. She collaborated with administration, therapists, and colleagues to make plans to insure students were adequately prepared.

Gabrielle Maldonado has worked in the field of education for 6+ years as a teacher, adjunct professor, advisor, and other supportive positions in the realm of academia. She previously found success working with young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders and/or Learning Differences by incorporating the arts, personal uniqueness, and authenticity with student’s general scope of themselves and the world. Her overall goal is to see young adults develop into inspiring, self reliant individuals who use their special way of thinking to better themselves and the community.

Alex came to CIP during the fall of 2013 as a student at the age of 18. Prior to CIP Alex attended high school at Village Glen. One of the things that drew Alex and his family in to choosing CIP was the program offered career counseling, internship coaching, and self-care skills including cooking.

As a Life Skills Coach Joseph has developed curriculum for residential programming like culinary and maintenance support as well as social and community integration through weekend activities. Joseph assists students with developing independent living skills like meal planning, preparation, health and nutrition as well as executive functioning skills like cleaning, organization, event planning, personal hygiene, and self-regulation in public spaces.

Kayla has worked in the field of Special Education for nearly a decade and has held many positions at CIP such as; Career Counselor, Student Advisor, Student Support Specialist, Life Skills and Wellness Coordinator and Interim Assistant Program Director.As Life Skills and Wellness Coordinator at CIP Long Beach, Kayla and her team was voted Department of the Year; she is appointed lead for CIP's Program for Global Engagement, held an active role CIP's Diversity and Inclusion Committee, supported CIP Bloomington as their Interim Assistant Program Director, implemented several processes and systems to support students with transition and non-programming days and established multiple partnerships within the city to build a safety program to ensure all students are supported in their residence and community.

Kelly is passionate about working within community and education. Previously, she spent time as a youth mentor, where she honed her skills in empathetic listening and conflict resolution. Kelly earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Her prior experiences as a university peer coach allowed her to assist young adults with goal setting, self management, and self-advocacy in a higher education setting. She deeply enjoyed supporting different age groups of learners to achieve their goals using creative problem solving.

Vernadine De Jesus has worked in the field of Psychology as a former Program Coordinator at a non-profit organization working with transitional-aged homeless youth, and now as a Student Support Specialist for CIP Long Beach. She previously found success working with young adults in need of advocacy as well as any mental health resources and support.

Isabel begins her career in the health and human services field with CIP Long Beach as a Student Support Specialist. Prior to this role, she worked as an intern and gained experience by shadowing, observing and contributing in various departments, including careers, academics, life and social skills.

Lyndsey has worked within the Education and Human Services fields for 5 years as a substitute teacher and school counseling intern. She is currently pursuing her M.A. in Educational Counseling with hopes to serve young adults through postsecondary transitions.

Amber has worked in the field of education for over two years as an Academic Success Coach and Program Assistant. Amber previously found success working to support young adults as an Academic Success Coach in higher education pursuits by creating individualized plans for students and working with the individual to align their academic goals. In addition, Amber worked as a Program Fellow supporting first-generation students by offering a college access program that will help them and their families in making the pursuit and attainment of a college degree an obtainable goal.

Evelin is new to the CIP family but has worked with the ASD community for three years as a ABA technician. As an Academic Coach at CIP, Evelin helps students meet their academic goals and needs throughout their college journey. Whether it be meeting an assignment deadline, advocating for any special accommodations, or simply getting as organized as can be to be a successful student.