We are here to help!
Drop by 218 Eshleman anytime with questions, to learn more about out what we do, or to discuss how to find your path to public service.
Students, faculty, staff, community partners, and friends of the Center are invited to contact any of us directly to set up a meeting.
Our Staff
Aileen Pagdanganan, Program Manager for Public Service Leaders
aileen.pagdanganan@berkeley.edu
Aileen Pagdanganan (she/her) is a community and youth advocate whose work is rooted in Ethnic Studies (emphasis on Asian American History & Filipino/a American Experiences), social justice, and college access. Prior to the PSC, she has worked in collaboration with SFUSD and various nonprofit organizations in San Francisco for over a decade supporting high school & college students with their pursuit of higher education and transformative social change. Aileen holds a B.A. in Media Studies, and a double minor in Journalism & Philippine Studies from University of San Francisco.
Caitlin Aquino, College Corps Engagement Coordinator
ctlnaquino@berkeley.edu
Caitlin Aquino (she/they/siya) is the Behavioral Health, Wellness, and Housing Engagement Coordinator for UC Berkeley’s College Corps Fellowship program. They advise and support BHWH Fellows in their community partnerships around the Bay Area. Caitlin is deeply committed to basic needs advocacy, food justice and food sovereignty, and trauma-informed approaches to education. Prior to the PSC, they joined College Corps’ very first cohort at UC Berkeley as a first-generation undergrad transfer student in 2022, working alongside community partners such as Common Vision and the Basic Needs Center. Caitlin holds a B.A in Sociology and a minor in City & Regional Planning from UC Berkeley. She loves coffee, the beach, and making playlists for loved ones! She’s excited to build community with her fellows, community partners, and PSC staff!
Carrie Donovan, Director of Strategic Initiatives
carriedonovan@berkeley.edu
Carrie (she/her) supports Center-wide initiatives with a focus on education partnerships and grant-funded collaborations, including College Corps. Before joining the Center in 2005, Carrie was the youth director at CIRCLE, a national research organization focused on youth civic engagement and political participation. She has a BA in Anthropology and French from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.
Cassy Huang, Associate Director
cassy@berkeley.edu
Cassy (she/her) brings over 10 years of experience in K-12, nonprofit, and higher education sectors. As the Associate Director, she supports community engaged professionals in leading critical service-learning programs, leads the center’s student leadership training curriculum, and collaborates with the center’s leadership team on campus/community partnership engagement strategies. Prior to joining the PSC in 2017, Cassy worked in schools and nonprofit organizations with the goal of increasing access and persistence in higher education for traditionally underrepresented, low-income, first-generation college students. Outside of the PSC, she serves as a founding board member for FirstGen Connect: A Professional Collective, which envisions a future that promotes, embraces, and inspires the bold leadership and decision-making of First Generation Professionals. Cassy holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley in Psychology and a minor in Education and Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education with a focus on Prevention Science and Practice.
Cindy Luu, College Corps Operations Manager
cindyluu@berkeley.edu
Cindy (she/her/hers) is the Operations Manager for College Corps at UC Berkeley. She advises and supports students serving at local organizations that focus on K-12 education, food insecurity, climate action, and behavioral health, wellness, and housing. She graduated from Emerson College with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing, Literature, and Publishing and minored in Sociology, and is currently a Masters in Fine Arts in Creative Writing candidate at San Francisco State University. Prior to joining the PSC, Cindy worked in book publishing (for several publishing houses and literary journals) and San Jose State University as an Academic Advisor and Administrative Coordinator/Scheduler. She loves reading, writing, cheesy RomComs, baking, and traveling.
Grace Seiberling, College Corps Engagement Coordinator
graceseiberling@berkeley.edu
Grace (she/her) is the K-12 Engagement Coordinator for UC Berkeley’s College Corps program. In this role, she advises and supports students serving at K-12 schools and community partner sites across the Bay Area. During her time at Cal, Grace was an active member of the Public Service Center. She participated in programs such as BUILD, the Haas Leaders Program, and the Public Service Internship Program where she served as the Volunteer Coordinator and developed a pilot literacy class for the East Bay Sanctuary Covenant. Grace holds a B.A. in Social Welfare and a minor in Education from UC Berkeley. She is passionate about supporting students, empowering communities, and leading with care and compassion. Grace is grateful and excited to continue her career with the Public Service Center!
Gardenia Campos, Program Manager, BUILD
gardenia.campos@berkeley.edu
Gardenia supports the BUILD Literacy Program which serves elementary youth in Berkeley and Oakland. She also advises CREATE, the arts-in-education service program also serving youth in schools in Berkeley and Oakland. Before joining PSC staff, Gardenia worked with a literacy intervention nonprofit serving students in Oakland and San Francisco. Gardenia is dedicated to making education, especially literacy, an equitable and accessible resource for all students to be able to thrive within their communities and beyond.
Gloria Holbrook, Finance & Operations Officer
gloriaholbrook@berkeley.edu
Gloria manages PSC budgeting and finance. She has a MBA in Finance from Golden Gate University and, prior to joining the PSC, worked in accounting. Before that, she worked at a Opportunity Junction, a nonprofit job training/career prep organization, where she managed bookkeeping and operations. Public service is a big part of her life. She volunteers with the American Cancer Society, Meals On Wheels, a teacher at Contra Costa Chinese School, and has also served as a financial literacy trainer for middle & high school students.
Mariana Chavez-Aleman, College Corps Engagement Coordinator
marichavez@berkeley.edu
Mariana (she/her/ella) is the Environmental Justice Coordinator for UC Berkeley’s College Corps Program. She advises and supports students in climate and food justice community partnerships in the Bay Area. Mariana is passionate about environmental border policies and serving first-generation students in higher education. As a Cal student, she was a part of the second cohort of College Corps serving at the Basic Needs Center. She was an intern at the Chicanx Latinx Student Development Center advancing Latinx alumni oral histories on the Third World Liberation Movement at UC Berkeley. Mariana holds a B.A in History with an emphasis on Latin America and a minor in Spanish Language. She enjoys taking care of her plants and collecting trinkets from new places! She is excited to join the PSC community!
Michelle Vazquez, BUILD Equity Fellow
michellevazquez@berkeley.edu
Michelle (she/her) is a recent graduate from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Data Science. As a former BUILD mentor and director at Sankofa United Elementary School and a former Elevate Fellow, Michelle is passionate about empowering students from underrepresented communities by dismantling barriers to higher education. Through mentorship and advocacy, she aims to demystify the complexities of academia, ensuring equitable access and success for every aspiring scholar. Michelle currently serves as the BUILD Equity Fellow where she advises and supports BUILD Directors and mentor teams serving elementary youth in Berkeley and Oakland. In her free time, she enjoys finding cool coffee shops, collecting stickers/random items for scrapbooking, and going on hikes.
Nina Parker, Program Manager for Cal in the Capital and Student Initiated Community Projects
nina.parker@berkeley.edu
Prior to joining the Public Service Center, Nina worked with various non-profits providing programming to students ages K – college. She is passionate about providing opportunities for young people to hold leadership positions, develop financial literacy skills, attain valuable career experience, and explore their interests. Nina received a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Social Sciences from the University of Missouri. She finished school as an intern with the House of Representatives, and eventually moved to the Bay Area as an AmeriCorps volunteer. She loves to cook, read manga, and play a friendly round of pool. She’s very excited to get to know everyone and join the PSC!
Rosa Enriquez, Program Manager for Immersive Service
rosaleeenriquez@berkeley.edu
Rosa Enriquez (she/her) is a Program Manager for the Alternative Breaks, Lingnan W.T. Chan Fellowship, and Residential Service Initiative programs. Rosa first joined the PSC as a first-generation undergrad transfer student in 2018. She co-founded the Puerto Rico Alternative Breaks trip and served as the Graduate Student Facilitator for two years. She became a program manager in August 2022. Outside of the PSC, Rosa is a disability activist dedicated to interrupting ableism on UC campuses and uplifting the voices of underserved student communities. Rosa holds a B.A. in Social Welfare and a Master of Social Welfare from UC Berkeley, focusing on disability, immigration, and community-based learning. Her work centers on critical service learning, cultural humility, advocacy, access, and holistic wellness.
Sandra Bass, Senior Associate Dean and Director
sandrab@berkeley.edu (510) 517-0920
Dr. Sandra Bass currently serves as Executive Director & Associate Dean of the Public Service Center at UC Berkeley. Upon receiving her doctorate in political science, Dr. Bass was appointed as an assistant professor of Criminology and Political Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she integrated service learning into both her undergraduate and graduate courses. In 2002 Sandra joined the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and in 2010 she was selected to lead the Foundation’s girl’s education, women’s leadership, and reproductive health program in Sub-Saharan Africa, and later was appointed the executive director of Teach With Africa, an organization focused on cross cultural learning for K-12 teachers in the US and South Africa. Sandra has published numerous articles and essays in academic journals and on various platforms, and has co-edited three volumes. She currently serves on the regional board of Multiplying Good (formerly known as the Jefferson Awards Foundation), the UC Berkeley Chancellor’s Community Partnership Fund, the Osher Center for Lifelong Learning Diversity and Equity Advisory Board, and Co-Chairs the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Civic Engagement Advisory Board. She has also served as a “Wise Head” reviewer for the MacArthur Foundation 100 and change competition, on the steering committee of the African Grantmakers Affinity Group, and is the former Board Chair of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights in Oakland, among other appointments. She is also a nonviolence trainer and educator. Sandra holds a BA from San Jose State University, and an MA and PhD from UC Berkeley, all in political science.
Advisory Committee
The Public Service Center’s Student Advisory Committee provides formal student input on the Center’s vision, programs, and goals. Student Advisory Committee members work with professional staff to design key aspects of the Center’s programming, such as our fall orientations, trainings, community-building events, and to represent the Center throughout campus.
