Who Are All These New People on Campus?

Everyone knows Janelle Fine, the lady who says good morning, takes phone calls, answers questions and provides anything students, families or teachers might need. In just 15 minutes one mid-September day, she helped more than five students and two parents who came looking for her. Janelle began her job as office manager at Eastside in May 2020, during the pandemic, having little to no contact with...

Emails about summer and community service opportunities have a new name attached to them this year: Amairany Fuentes. Starting as Student Services Coordinator this year, Amairany heard about Eastside while attending Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., where she met Eastside alum and current math teacher and Residential Faculty member, Addison Partida-Vasquez. “We became friends through our...

The 15 freshmen on the boys’ hall in the dorms who have Leo Anaya as their new Residential Faculty mostly enjoy him because of his sarcastic sense of humor and his helpful, understanding personality.  But they really don’t like the haircut he gave to his dog Psyche two weeks ago.  The once fluffy white and black shih tzu came out looking like a hairless cat. Leo came to Eastside in June with...

When Nohely Peraza was in ninth grade at Eastside, she was called to the front of her World Literature class by her teacher to share her work. “I remember being at the front of the room, it was something scary and exciting,” Nohely recalled, not realizing at the time the impact that this event would have on her life. Today, she is back, teaching World Literature and Senior Research Institute. Nohely...

Addison Partida-Vasquez, who graduated from Eastside in 2016, returned this year as Residential Faculty and a math teacher, helping students in the same dorms and classes that he experienced when he was in high school. When he came to Eastside as a freshman, he said, “It felt challenging but I knew there was always going to be help.” Addison attended Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., where...

Chaslie Lamas can be seen around campus with her curly hair and positive personality! Chaslie, a new member of the residential faculty for the girls dorm, is in charge of the freshman and sophomore girls. “I hope to support them not only academically but emotionally as well,” Chaslie said. She may be a new RF, but Chaslie knows Eastside well as a graduate, class of 2015. Coming from Richmond,...

RF Dorothy Boakye-Donker has gone back to school! After working as a full time RF, Dorothy came to realize she wanted to pursue a career as a lawyer. Dorothy is attending her second year at Santa Clara University School of Law while continuing to work as a weekend RF. She expects to graduate in 2023, with her area of law still undecided. “I don’t have to because I’m interested in too many...

Maria Guadalupe “Lupe” Garcia learned about Eastside through her older sister Mayra, who had attended middle and high school here and graduated in 2008. She remembers coming with her parents to pick Mayra up from school when the campus still had portable classrooms. Lupe remembers thinking “Wow, the school hours are long for students.” But she could see how much the school helped her sister....

A long journey brought the weekend Residential Faculty Vincent Ontita to Eastside all the way from Nairobi, Kenya where he was born and raised. Vincent is the first generation in his family to attend college. He had a lot of encouragement from his parents to focus on school, and despite not having books, he would volunteer at a local bookshop. He went to St Johns high school, and then to Kenyatta...

Originally from Lima, Perú, Jorge Mauro de la Cruz made his way to Eastside where he is working as a co-Teacher in Holly Chenette’s Spanish class. Jorge graduated from University of California, Los Angeles and is now earning his Masters degree in Education at Stanford University. Before coming to Eastside, Jorge worked in Los Angeles at Aspire Ollin University Preparatory Academy and at Vox Collegiate....

Osvaldo is a first-generation college graduate from Stanford University, who also mentored and advised first generation students at Stanford’s Leland Scholars Program and Peninsula Bridge. As part of the College and Career coaching team, he helps prepare students for the transition to college. Osvaldo had plenty of support before and during college himself, so he feels ready to do the same for Eastside...

Saloni graduated from University of Cincinnati where she started out in market research and later switched to Education as a special educator. She led and developed a study program curriculum and operations for DePaul Cristo Rey High School in Cincinnati.  When she learned that Eastside supports students through high school, college and beyond, she felt eager to join. Saloni looks forward to working...