Karina Cervantez
Chief Education Officer
Karina Cervantez is an educator and researcher with broad experience in education, working with community-based organizations, and service in local government.
Karina believes in strengthening the educational pipeline by investing in education so that every child has the opportunity to succeed. She has worked with, and served as a mentor, to previously incarcerated youth focusing on job placement and alternative education programs as a pathway for youth transitioning from the juvenile justice system. She helped to establish Girlzpace, an after-school program in leadership development for young women and was part of the development team of Digital NEST, a high-tech training and collaboration space for young people. And as an educator, she has taught courses in psychology, feminist studies, and Latino Studies.
Currently, Karina is a PhD candidate in the program of social psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her research interests include access to higher education, leadership, and collective action in communities of color. She received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science degrees in Psychology, also from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, writing, and mastering kickboxing.