Our Team

Brittany hails from the Bay Area with stints in Georgia and Mexico. With a solid decade of experience in operations under her belt, she's no stranger to navigating the intricacies of organizational efficiency. She has dedicated four impactful years to the nonprofit sector. Brittany has a Masters in Public Administration with a specialization in nonprofit management from California State University, Northridge.

As a first-generation college graduate, Brittany's journey is fueled by her unwavering passion for equitable access to education. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, she finds solace and inspiration in the pages of a good book.

Cara Magliaro joined PCF with more than 15 years experience as an innovative educator, leader, and community volunteer working for organizations dedicated to youth development and educational technology.

As a first-generation college student and passionate educational advocate, Cara graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Education and connects deeply to PCF’s mission and values.

Outside of PCF, Cara stays busy raising her three kids, two dogs, and three chickens and is greatly looking forward to traveling again.

Beth Williams joined PCF with a variety of experience in fundraising for nonprofits and a passion for creating positive change. Beth has dedicated over thirty years to advancing the missions of nonprofit organizations in the areas of foster care, hospice and domestic violence.

As an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFPSV), Beth has demonstrated her commitment to professional excellence by acting as a mentor to those new to the profession and by also serving seven years on the board of directors. She is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), earned in March 2010, showcasing her dedication to ethical fundraising practices and ongoing professional development.

Beth is driven by a vision of a more compassionate and equitable world and has personally benefited from the impact of access to education as both of her parents were first generation college students who became teachers themselves. Beth and her husband met and graduated from CSU Long Beach and now the next generation has carried on the pursuit of higher education with their son graduating from Cal Poly SLO and their daughter continuing the tradition by becoming a CSULB alum and going on to earn her Masters from USF and becoming a high school teacher. In her personal time Beth, enjoys traveling and volunteering for local theaters and other nonprofit organizations.

Before going to college Julia always had this idea of going into education, but originally was on the path to becoming a teacher. However, it was not until she stepped foot on campus predominantly white institution that she realized she needed a community if she was going to continue higher education.

Once Julia found her community in the Ethnic Studies department and family within her multicultural sorority, she realized that that was what she needed to get her through college. She needed the mentorship, support and confidence that both of these communities provided. Julia double majored and earned her B.A. in Comparative Ethnic Studies and a B.A. in History, from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo because she wanted to give back to those who were first-generation college students like herself.

Julia entered the nonprofit community as an intern for the Community Roots Project in San Luis Obispo where she realized she could be both part of a nonprofit and help with education together in her professional career.

Chloriza Avila was born and raised in Lathrop, CA. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and double minor in Ethnic Studies and Education from UC Davis. While at UC Davis she worked with BRIDGE: Pilipinx Outreach and Retention as a Community Youth Development coordinator. In this role, she worked with and created curriculum for first-generation, low-income, and historically underserved youth to promote cultural awareness and accessibility to higher education. Chloriza has always had passion for working with students and is excited to support PCF scholars in embracing their unique identities and seeing themselves as vessels of change. In her future, she hopes to continue to bridge the opportunity gap and support marginalized youth and families in their personal and professional endeavors.

Chloriza also enjoys conversations about mental health and social justice. When she isn’t working, you can find her trying new food places, de-stressing at the gym, or traveling!

Lizeth Diaz Navarrete grew up in San Jose, California and was the first in her family to attend and graduate from university. Lizeth earned her Bachelor's in Psychological and Brain Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her Master's in Counseling and Guidance from San Jose State University. It was during this transformative period that she discovered her true passion for helping underrepresented students understand their talents and strengths to thrive in higher education.

This passion led her to intern at SJSU's Career Center, where she dedicated herself to empowering students to make informed decisions about their career paths and leverage their unique abilities to pursue fulfilling careers that not only align with their passions but also offer financial freedom. As a first-generation woman of color, Lizeth is committed to using her lived and professional experiences to aid other students in higher education succeed at a holistic level and work towards addressing systematic inequities.

Margaret Galvan grew up in Orange County, California. As a first-generation college student, Margaret has a passion and drive for self growth and uplifting of her community and those around her.

At the University of California, Santa Cruz, Margaret double majored, earning a Bachelor’s in History and History of Art and Visual Culture. It was there that she found her love of community and programs at the Museum of Art and History in Downtown Santa Cruz. Post-college, Margaret continued her museum journey in Orange County, volunteering and working at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana and the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda. Always finding herself on education and community programs teams, she realized her purpose. Margaret is excited to join The Peninsula College Fund and has hopes of creating a bigger and more direct impact on the lives of the next generation. She looks forward to building a community in San Jose and finding new places to volunteer and share her passions.

Nohely grew up in eastern Menlo Park and East Palo Alto. In elementary school, she was bussed to school through the Tinsley Transfer Program, where she witnessed firsthand the educational disparities between her community and neighboring ones, initiating her career interest in working to reduce the education gap.

She graduated from Williams College with a B.A. in English and American Studies and Latina/o Studies, and spent her junior year abroad at the University of Oxford through the Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford. At Williams, Nohely was an Orientation Leader for incoming first-generation students and served on the board for Vista, the campus affinity group for Latinx students.

After college, Nohely was a high school English teacher for 4 years at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto, her alma mater. Her passion for supporting the success of first-generation students like herself led her to PCF, where she hopes to continue being a resource for scholars in her community.

In her free time, Nohely can be found reading at a cafe, attending a concert, or at the park with her dog.

Matthew immigrated to the US when he was 3 years old and grew up in the Central Valley, more specifically, Delano, CA. He is a first-generation, low income college student. Matthew first attended his local community college, Bakersfield College, majoring in Theater Arts & Psychology. He then transferred to University of California, Berkeley where he got his dual Bachelor of Arts in Theater Performance Studies & Media Studies. Majority of his time at UC Berkeley was spent in community with the Pilipinx Community as the Retention Director for Pilipinx Academic Student Services (P.A.S.S.). In this role, Matthew helped celebrate, honor, and inform the Pilipinx community through events, workshops, and community gatherings in collaboration with his team and other organizations.

After University, he worked at WeWork Salesforce Tower in San Francisco as a Community Associate. There he was able to create a network of like minded individuals as well as a professional and personal support system.

Matthew also has many creative and fun pursuits: dancing and singing, staying active, learning new languages and instruments, and cooking for others. He is very passionate about giving back to communities. These passions and values continue to drive his direction in his life, and being part of PCF is just one way those identities align. Matthew is excited to help build a community and positively impact scholars' lives at PCF as a Program Coordinator

Lupe Vazquez is passionate about supporting and advocating for low-income, first-generation, and undocumented community members. She is committed to helping youth reach their full academic and personal potential while remaining their authentic selves.

Previous to working at The Peninsula College Fund, Lupe obtained her B.A in Critical Race and Ethnic Studies in 2022 from the University of California, Merced. During her time at UC Merced, she worked for The Success Mentor Program where she mentored first generation students by providing campus resources and social support to help them navigate their first year. She also conducted research through her school's Undergraduate Research in Humanities program which focused on humanizing undocumented youth’s experience through storytelling and uplifting their lived experiences.

Lupe was born in Mexico and migrated to the U.S at the age of 5 years old. She was raised in Mountain View and attended Mountain View High School. In her free time, she enjoys listening to a good podcast, finding new music, and spending time with her partner and their dog, Spots.