Enriching the cultural experience for all students

Meet the Staff

Ashlyn Bryson-Beane (she/her/hers)

 Lead Programming Intern

Ashlyn is a third year majoring in Psychology with a minor in Legal Studies. She is very excited to be working in the CCEI for another year. She is so grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow as well as teach and lead. Ashlyn is committed to listening to CLU students by providing a safe space for each person the campus serves. 

From a young age she has been passionate about providing safe welcoming spaces for all people. This passion stems from her and her family's personal involvement with the foster care system and her experiences with the various injustices and disparities that are present in the system. Post-graduation she hopes to apply her psychological knowledge to change policy within the foster care system.

She is constantly learning about how she can uplift individuals within the LGBTQ+ community, and educate about allyship in both LGBTQ+ as well as BIPOC Communities. For fun, Ashlyn enjoys listening to music, reading, hanging out with her roommates, calling her family (she is one of 8 kids!), and attending concerts. 

 

Ciarra Powell (she/her/hers)

 Programming Intern

Ciarra is a sophomore majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Legal Studies. She says that working with CCEI allows her to create a safe and supportive environment for those who should be free to love who they are and can embrace themselves happily. She describes that growing up with an observant mindset, she has noticed many obstacles within historically underrepresented communities and seen the world filled with injustices.

Upon graduation, Ciarra wants to use her knowledge of the world around her to attend law school where she aspires to become a District Attorney to bring justice to everyone but especially to those who never get to have a say on their passions and goals. As a woman of color, she wants to inspire others who may fear the hatred of our world and shine a light on their darkness by advocating for them to use their voice to help build a positive community. 

She is dedicated to connecting with others which will allow me to grow more knowledge, skills, and empathy within cultural engagement. She is excited to have the opportunity to further her learning in uplifting and educating individuals who feel unnoticed and yearn for support. For fun, her hobbies include baking, binge-watching shows, watching sports, and spending time with family. 

Brendan Manipol (He/Him)

 Programming Intern

Brendan Manipol is a sophomore currently studying accounting. He is a new programming intern at the CCEI for the 2024-2025 academic year and feels excited to embark on this opportunity to expand upon their mission of cultivating a space in which all students may engage with one another, may be provided with various care resources, and may learn about issues that threaten the wellbeing of fellow students and community members.

This position sparked Brendan’s interest because he has always had a passion for helping other people. A value that he holds very highly is empathy. Throughout his education he always wished that his classmates were more empathetic to each other. He disliked how LGBTQ+ and BIPOC students were often excluded and unwelcomed by other students. Because of this, Brendan is grateful to have the opportunity to give back to the campus and aims to help spread awareness of social justice issues that threaten the happiness of any fellow CLU community members.
Analyssa (she/her/hers)

 SL Graduate Assistant

Analyssa Provencio is currently pursuing a Masters of Science in Counseling and College Student Personnel. She is thrilled to be part of the Center for Cultural Engagement & Inclusion (CCEI), where she has the opportunity to lead the Crown Care program, as well as support and engage with our diverse student community.  She is passionate about fostering an environment where everyone feels welcomed, valued, included, and looks forward to working with the CCEI to create spaces that celebrate diversity and ensure that every student feels a sense of belonging. 

B.A. Liberal Studies Teaching and Learning Emphasis, California State University Channel Islands
A.A. History, Ventura College

Sarah Garcia (she/her)

 Associate Director of Student Life
 sarahgarcia@callutheran.edu
 805-493-3483

Sarah is an educator, innovator, and change agent dedicated to creating and sustaining environments that allow all to thrive. As the Associate Director of Student Life, Sarah directs both the Center for Cultural Engagement & Inclusion and Student Life's Civic Engagement & Leadership area. She also leads the hiring, training and development efforts for all Student Life's student employees, and supports the division of student affairs with its DEIJ efforts broadly, including the development and delivery of DEIJ training for Resident Assistants and Peer Advisors as well as the development of the DEIJ components for the mandatory training of all student employees at Cal Lutheran.

With over 5 years of experience leading diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within higher education institutions, she supports the advancement of Cal Lutheran's institutional DEIJ efforts by serving on the President's Equity Council, Student Retention Working Group, Wellness Distinction Committee, and the Chief Diversity Officer's (CDO) Advisory Council while also leading several initiatives within the University Strategic Plan and University DEIJ strategic plan. In her short time at Cal Lutheran, Sarah has also been tapped to help launch the Incident Reporting system, co-chair one of three working groups for the University Strategic Planning process, serve on the inaugural Incident Response Team and the DEIJ Core Team, which led CLU's institutional DEI efforts and initiatives previous to the creation of the President's Equity Council.


Passion Areas
Leading and supporting systems change efforts, social justice education and advocacy, leadership development, civic engagement, and equity in student success

Education
M.S. College Student Services Administration, Oregon State University
B.A. Communication and Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara
A.A. Communication Science and Liberal Arts: Science & Mathematics, Santa Barbara City College
Jonathan Leon (He/Him)

 Coordinator for Cultural Engagement and Inclusion
 jcleon@callutheran.edu
 (805) 493-3277

As a recent alum from Cal Lutheran, Jonathan joins the CCEI team with excitement and enthusiasm to continue his journey here at CLU. As a student he has been very involved in many areas within Student Life. In fact, Jonathan served as Peer Advisor for two years and Peer Advisor Lead, before becoming Lead Programming Intern for the CCEI his final semester as an undergraduate student. He hopes to extend his skills that he developed as a student intern as he embarks on this new role as Coordinator where he will focus on developing a sense of belonging for our diverse community.  


Passion Areas:

First generation college students, LGBTQIA+ justice work, Allyship and inclusion of historically marginalized communities 


Education:

B.A. Sociology, California Lutheran University
B.A. Spanish, California Lutheran University

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