Meet the Staff
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.
Programming Intern
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.
CCEI Programming Intern
Tyla is a second year majoring in Education with a minor in Mathematics. She is extremely
excited and looking forward to working alongside the other interns at the CCEI to
provide a space for the students to be themselves. She is a big believer in people
being able to express themself and having the opportunity to be heard.
After graduation, she hopes to use the things she learned in the CCEI in her classroom
later on to provide a safe space for her students. Teaching math and self-acceptance
is Tyla’s goal for the upcoming generations. She is also excited to learn more and
more specifically about helping people to soon create another familiar face that people
can have on campus.
Tyla is beyond thankful for the opportunity provided to work with other amazing people
on campus for other students' benefits. From being impressed with work the CCEI would
put on to being allowed to work behind the scenes to show others what inspired her.
Lastly, in her free time she loves working with people, hanging out with friends,
keeping up with fashion trends and being with her family.
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