Hi all, I am an OUT and PROUD, cis-gendered, she/her pronoun using lesbian AND proud graduate of City College of San Francisco. I have been a community college counselor for over 20 years here at CCSF, but before that, my journey started here as a hopeful first-generation college student.  During my first year at CCSF, I was a member of what was then called GALA (Gay and Lesbian Alliance) and won a scholarship to the 1993 March on Washington, where it seemed a million LGBTQ+ people and allies marched on the capital to demand equal rights for all queer people. It was amazing and beautiful and where I note that I went from being a lesbian to a dyke!  I am the first in my family to have earned a 2-year and then a 4-year degree. After earning my associate’s degree from CCSF, I transferred to SFSU and completed a bachelor’s degree in psychology and then a master’s in counseling with specializations in both college counseling and marriage family therapy. Since then, I have focused on helping students on their academic path. I work with all majors and all transfer goals, but I also specialize in nursing and fire science.

I am a native Californian, having grown up in the Los Angeles area, but I have now lived in the Bay Area for a very long time. I currently reside in the Eastbay with my partner, three kids, and our dog.

What’s my number one goal? It’s to believe in your ability to obtain your academic, career and personal goals! I am a CCSF Academic Counselor, an immigrant, a first-generation college student, a queer/gay cis gender male, a man-of-color, a multiracial human being, an activist, and I pride myself in being a kind. I hold a BS in Business Administration degree, and co-owned and did operations and events management for some NYC nightclubs, restaurants, and bars. However, I worked myself up the ladder and started as a busser and server to support myself while in college and after. I dropped out of college twice and after 13 years of stepping away I returned to obtain my bachelor degree. I am persistent and determined. This journey has taught me that education is an effective pathway to obtain the career and life you envision and are worthy of having! I also hold an MS in Counseling degree with an emphasis in College Counseling and MFT.

I have been a CCSF college counselor since 2010 and am the counseling liaison to LGBT Studies department, the Queer Resource Center (QRC), the Radiology/DMI department, and the Office of International Programs. I specialize in working with a variety of students: LGBTQ+, nursing, computer science, radiology, transfer and F1 visa holding international students. I have helped numerous F1 visa holding international LGBTQ+ students obtain asylum services, and served as a Veterans Counselor at CCSF for one year.

I have history from the 80s-90s ballroom world (think of the series POSE and the documentary Paris is Burning), ACT UP (Aids Coalition to Unleash Power), and Queer Nation (SF, CA). I have backpack adventure traveled to about 50+ countries in my lifetime and have a love for photography and culture.

I partner with students to help them understand all that’s needed to get to their goals and/or to overcome obstacles, and if a student is unsure of their goals, then we figure out what resources to use to get the clarification needed! Come meet with me, and let’s figure out how to move forward and upward!