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Professional Staff

  • Dayan Castañeda Muñoz

    Dayan Castañeda Muñoz

    (she/her)

    Program Manager

    Make an appointment with Dayan

    Dayan, born in Panama City, Panama and raised by a single mother from Peru, holds a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Utah. As the Program Manager at USS, Dayan oversees daily operations and leads the team with passion and dedication. Her personal journey, having been undocumented in the past, fuels her deep commitment to supporting undocumented students in achieving higher education. Dayan believes in providing every student with the resources and encouragement they need to succeed. Outside of work, she enjoys the beach with friends, exploring new foods, and soaking up the San Diego sun!

  • Pricila Rodriguez

    Pricila Rodriguez

    (she/her/they)

    Program Coordinator

    Make an appointment with Pricila

    Pricila is a first-generation daughter of parents who migrated to Tucson, Arizona, from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. At the age of fourteen, her father was detained, imprisoned for three years, and subsequently deported. Due to ever-increasing immigration control policies, her family has been separated since. Immigration, incarceration, and education have profoundly influenced her life and research interests, shaping her career development.

    As the Program Coordinator for the Undocumented Student Services, Pricila oversees the professional development programming and services offered to students, specifically the Personal and Career Experience (PACE) Fellowship program and the Equity Grant program. Students are encouraged to make an appointment with her to discuss these programs. They can also schedule an individual consultation to discuss academic and professional goals, financial aid questions, and graduate school preparation.

    Pricila is currently completing her Doctorate in the field of Ethnic Studies. Her research highlights the legacies of slavery and settler colonialism as foundational to the development of schooling in the US, arguing that schooling is a race-making project. To better address the racial disparities that continue to plague the education system, these legacies must first be contended with to make the promise of education and its opportunities available to all.

  • Andres Lemons

    Andres Lemons

    (he/him)

    Immigration Attorney

    Make an appointment with Andres

    Andrés Lemons is a Staff Attorney with the UC Immigrant Legal Services Center and serves the UC San Diego students, staff, and their immediate family. Andrés obtained both his B.A. in Philosophy and his law degree, with a focus on immigration law, at the University of Arizona. He worked for nine years in New York City at CUNY Citizenship Now!, where he provided free immigration legal services including naturalization assistance, family-based adjustment of status, and consular processing. More recently, Andrés had a private immigration-law practice focusing on family-based immigration law as well as artist visas. He is admitted to practice law in California, New York, and Arizona, and is fluent in Spanish. Andrés enjoys playing flamenco guitar and traveling.  

  • Angelica Escobar

    Angelica Escobar

    (she/her)

    Paralegal

    Make an appointment with Angelica

    Angelica graduated from UC Riverside with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Administrative Studies, with an emphasis in Business Marketing. Later, she obtained a Paralegal Certificate from Cerritos College.

    As a paralegal at Undocumented Student Services (USS), she supports Immigration Attorney, Andres, in serving UC San Diego students and their immediate family members. Angelica firmly believes that all human beings should be treated with equal respect and dignity, regardless of their legal, social, or economic status. She is dedicated to providing a safe space for all students, and aims to empower everyone to advocate for themselves and find strength in their voices.

     

  • Rei Perez Munoz

    Rei Perez Munoz

    (they/them)

    USS Program Assistant

    Make an appointment with Rei (Yes Food Check-Ins Only)

    Born in Havana, Cuba, Rei immigrated to the U.S. in the early 2000s and has lived in CA for most of their life. They completed their B.A. in Anthropology with a Bio Conc. from UC San Diego and are now pursuing an M.S. in Child & Family Development at SDSU. Their research focuses on the effects of structural racism on the physical and mental health of Latinx communities.

    As the USS Program Assistant, Rei works directly with UC San Diego students to support their professional and educational growth. Rei is available for appointments to discuss the Personal and Career Experience (PACE) Fellowship Program and other USS services. If you are interested in graduate school or need help navigating the campus and everything it offers, please reach out to them—they are happy to chat! 

2024-2025 Student Interns

  • Xiomara Aguilar

    Xiomara Aguilar

    (she/her)

    Professional Development Intern

    Xiomara is one of the Professional Development Interns at USS. Her job involves assisting the professional staff with managing programs such as the PACE Fellowship Program and interacting with students to support their higher education needs. She is a 3rd-year Political Science student, double majoring in Latin American Studies and minoring in Chicanx and Latinx Studies. Xiomara plans to pursue a career in which she can help educate and learn more about her Latino/x community.

  • Irving Zafra Mariano

    Irving Zafra Mariano

    (he/him)

    Administrative Assistant Intern

    Irving is a 3rd-year majoring in Public Health with a concentration in Medicine Sciences. He is originally from Vista, CA, and is a first-generation college student. In the future he hopes to become a Physician Assistant or a Nurse Practitioner. His role at USS is an Admin Assistant supporting USS programs geared toward aiding Undocumented Students to participate in opportunities for professional development.