La Casa’s Student Coordinators (SCs) are here to serve any and all constituents of La Casa. SCs are the main staff that maintain our physical center when we are open. Additionally, SCs coordinate and host events, create passive programs, make connections, share resources, and engage in collaborations with other offices.
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Giuliana Duron (Jonathan Edwards ‘24) Co-Head Student Coordinator Pronouns: she/her/hers hola/oi/hi! My name is Giuliana (she/her/hers) and I am a senior in Jonathan Edwards majoring in Urban Studies and Architecture. A little bit about me… I grew up (for most of my life) in a small town in California named Temecula. My dad is Mexican-American and my mom is a very proud Brazilian so my house is in constant flux with Spanish/Portuguese/English being thrown all about. When I was younger I lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and half of my family is still there. I’m an ex-cross-county runner (worst decision I ever made) and competitive dancer. I’m absolutely addicted to black coffee and can NOT go a day without it. My room is filled with an absurd amount of books and I’m guilty of buying more before finishing the ones I have :0 I have an irrational fear of spiders and open spaces. Fun fact, my family got a dog AFTER I moved out but now we are besties. At Yale, I am heavily involved with the Urban Studies Project, work with the New Haven City Plan Department, give tours as a Yale Tour Guide, act as a writing partner, and am a Co-Director for FOCUS. Some of my favorite artists atm are Cautious Clay, IZA, Tkay Maidza, Nao, Rina Sawayama, Danna Paola, Amber Mark, and Raveena. My favorite shows are ELITE and Coisa Mais Linda. I am looking forward to an exciting year :)! |
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Jaden González (Jonathan Edwards ‘25) Co-Head Student Coordinator Pronouns: he/him/his Hola! I’m Jaden. I’m a junior in JE studying Linguistics and Education Studies. Aside from academics I love the performing arts, especially tap dance. I was born and raised in the Bronx, New York by a family of proud Puerto Ricans. The best part of my job as an SC at la Casa is how it allows me to engage with the wonderful Latine community at this university. I love meeting new people so if you see me around campus, please don’t hesitate to say hi! |
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Ethan Estrada (Pauli Murray ‘25) Pronouns: Any Hi y’all! My name is Ethan Estrada, and I’m a Mexican American from Austin, Texas. Currently, I’m in the Education Studies program and planning on majoring in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and Comparative Literature. Back home, I’m an Ambassador to Latinx Arts and do a lot of work in my city’s Mexican American Cultural Center. Here at Yale, I’m Co-Editor-in-Chief of Broad Recognition, co-moderator of De Colores, work as a pedagogical partner at the Poorvu Center, and — this past summer — taught creative writing to middle schoolers through U.S. Grant. When I’m not doing school or at work, I love to cook (and eat!), write, read, dance, listen to music, take care of my plants, and hang out with friends. I’m so excited for the year to come, and I’m looking forward to meeting all of you! |
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Yakeleen Almazan (Jonathan Edwards ‘25) Pronouns: she/her/hers ¡Hola mis amores! My name is Yakeleen Almazan and I am a Chicana from South Tucson, Arizona. (520 represent!) I am a first-generation, low-income junior in Jonathan Edwards College studying Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and Education Studies. I am passionate about public interest work in the Crimmigration field. I do non-profit work at Yale with the Yale Interpretation Network, Yale Undergraduate Prison Project, and Mecha de Yale. In my free time, I lead and play the violin for Mariachi de Yale, binge-watch Glee (yes, I am a Gleek), and listen to Peso Pluma (yes, I consider them corridos). You can find me studying at the La Casa library or chatting with friends about everything I love about my home, the Sonoran Desert! I am thrilled to serve the La Casa community again because it is truly my home away from home. La Casa es su casa, and I cannot wait to see new faces, familiar friends, and everything in between at the center this year! |
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Elyse Thomas Pronouns: she/they ¡Hola! My name is Elyse and I’m a junior in Branford College (BFA!) majoring in Comparative Literature and Ethnicity, Race, and Migration Studies. I’m from Miami, FL, and I’m Boricua and Jamaican. I love reading and writing poetry and I’m Co-President of WORD: Performance Poetry at Yale this year! Some fun things: I’m obsessed with Avatar: The Last Airbender, I love R&B (especially Sabrina Claudio, Omar Apollo, Umi and more), and I love learning languages. I’m so excited to be a returning SC at La Casa this year and I cannot wait to meet you! |
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Alex Guzman Caceres Pronouns: she/her/hers !Hola amiguis! My name is Alex Guzman Caceres and I’m a sophomore in Timothy Dwight majoring in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration (yess ER&M baddies). I’m a proud Guatemalteca from Chelsea, MA, which is technically not in Boston but close enough. I love all things poetry! At Yale, I’m on board for ¡Oye! Spoken Word and I’ve absolutely loved all the showcases, mixers, and writing sessions that have allowed me to share my voice and meet some amazing people. I’m also interning at Planned Parenthood in hopes of learning more about reproductive rights policy and bringing more reproductive justice awareness to Yale and New Haven. When I’m not at La Casa, you can usually find me blasting random Spotify playlists, writing poetry, or buying long skirts. I can’t wait to meet more Latine people at La Casa and I’m so so happy to continue working as a Student Coordinator this year <3. |
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Aryana Teresa Ramos-Vazquez Pronouns: she/her/hers Hola! Mi nombre es Aryana Ramos-Vazquez, and I’m a Boricua living in Tuxedo Park, New York (just outside of New York City)! I’m a sophomore in Saybrook College (SAY WHAT?), and I’m a tentative biomedical engineering major (check back in with me in…say, two months and see if that’s *actually* what I’ve decided on). I LOVE singing, so you can find me at Yale’s Glee Club on Monday and Wednesday evenings and concerts. In my free time, I love listening to music, creative writing (poetry & prose), watching movie and book rant reviews, binging Korean and Chinese dramas, and I’d characterize myself as an average anime enjoyer. I’m a huge Doja Cat and Bad Bunny fanatic, but when I’m in my feels (~75% of the time) I’ll probably be staring off into the distance overthinking my existence as Noah Kahan’s music loops. I’m beyond honored to be a part of the Latine community at Yale, and especially excited to work alongside my new familia at La Casa! |
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Kaley Mafong Pronouns: she/her/hers ¡Hola! Me llamo Kaley Mafong, and I am a sophomore in Davenport College studying biology. I am so excited to be a part of La Casa this year and help amplify Latinx voices at Yale. Outside of school, I love to play tennis, listen (and dance) to Camilo, and care for the chickens at the Yale Farm. Looking forward to working together as a community to make this an awesome year! |
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Lyn Rodriguez Pronouns: she/they ¡Hola tod@s! My name is Lyn, and I am a Chicana from New Haven. My family is from Tlaxcala, Mexico—the smallest state of Mexico!
I’m a sophomore in Branford. I am planning to major in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and enter the Education Studies program. At Yale, I am one of the Conexiones Co-Coordinators for Mecha, on the board for De Colores, and dance with Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Yale (BFMdeY). This past summer, I taught for U.S. Grant, an educational 6-week summer program for local middle schoolers. Outside of that, I am usually just listening to music while playing video games or hanging out with friends.
I’m incredibly excited to be a returning SC at La Casa this year. I hope to see old and new faces at the center very soon!
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Michaell Santos Paulino Pronouns: he/him/él ¡Hola! My name is Michaell Santos Paulino, a sophomore in Saybrook College and a student coordinator at La Casa! I am from the Bronx, NY (BX!) but was born in the Dominican Republic. I’m majoring Ethicnicty, Race, and Migration and pursuing a certificate in Spanish.
At Yale you can find me doing a little bit of everything. I spend my time involve in Sabrosura, Quisqueyalies, Claro Que Si, the Human Rights Journal, and the Yale Interpretation Network.
In my free time you can always find me listening to music and hanging out with friends. I’m looking forward to return back for my second year as a student coordinator.
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Jocelyn Perez Pronouns: she/her/hers ¡Saludos! My name is Jocelyn Perez and I’m a Mexican American from South Los Angeles, California. I was originally part of the 2011 class but took a long hiatus from Yale after my first year. During my time away, I was a Spanish teacher assistant, interpreter and human resource assistant. I’m now a junior in Saybrook College and part of the 2025 class. La Casa has always held a special place in my heart as it is home away from home. Now I reside in New Haven full time so if you need any food recommendations or where to find the Mexican market reach out!
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Deynna Rey Tovar Pronouns: she/her/hers Hola!! Hello!! My name is Deynna Rey Tovar. I am a rising senior in Pierson College majoring in Political Science. I transferred to Yale from Harry S Truman College in Chicago last fall. I am from Venezuela but I moved to the U.S. about four years ago. I have lived in different cities throughout my time here so home at the moment is in Orlando, FL. At Yale, I serve as a transfer peer advisor, tutor for Bridges ESL, and social media chair for Latina Women at Yale. I am also part of Yale Danceworks. In my free time I like to read, watch movies, and spend time with friends. I am super excited to become part of La Casa community as a Student Coordinator this year and I look forward to meeting you all :) |
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Benjamin Hernandez Pronouns: he/him/his ¡Hola! My name is Benjamin Hernandez, and I’m a sophomore in Trumbull College from Dallas, TX who is planning on majoring in Global Affairs. Beyond my duties as a Student Coordinator at La Casa, I spend a significant amount of my time as part of the YMUN Secretariat, as a staff reporter for the Yale Daily News and as an advising fellow and leadership team member for Matriculate. I look forward to welcoming new and returning faces to the center this year! |
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Sumarha Tariq Pronouns: she/her/hers ¡Hola! My name is Sumarha Tariq (she/her/hers), but you can also call me Sumi. I’m a first-year in Timothy Dwight College and I hope to major in Political Science and Ethnicity, Race, & Migration. I was born and raised in New York City, but spent a lot of my time in beautiful Lima, Peru! That being said, I’m half Peruvian and half Pakistani. I’m incredibly interested in demonstrating my advocacy through art, especially fashion design and photography. I literally always have a camera on me, so you can catch me taking photos of absolutely everything. In my free time, I love to sew, crochet, draw, aimlessly scroll through Pinterest, and dance Marinera Norteña. Throughout my time at Yale, I aspire to maintain my creative vision and passion for art alongside my passion for reform and activism. I’m so excited to embark on this new journey as a Student Coordinator at La Casa and I’m definitely looking forward to an amazing year. |
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Daniel Torres Pronouns: he/him/his ¡Hola! I’m Daniel, and I am a first-year at Branford College. I am Puerto Rican and Mexican (y hablo español), but I’m coming to Yale from Western PA. I also lived in Shanghai for eight years, which was a large influence on my plan to major in East Asian Studies.
In my free time, I love trying new foods (past encounters: pig brain and chicken pompitas), listening to música en español, practicing Mandarin and French, and playing soccer! I am very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to work in La Casa, and I am looking forward to meeting everyone!
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Pablo Macias Lopez Pronouns: he/him/él ¡Hola! I’m Pablo, a first-year in Ezra Stiles born in the arid city and state of Aguascalientes, Mexico and raised in the equally desertified city of Las Vegas, NV. I am also proudly Wixárika from Nayarit! I plan on double majoring in astrophysics and music, focusing on computational cosmology and orchestral composition. With my work, I plan on creating immersive cultural learning experiences for a wide array of audiences with Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Yale, Mariachi Lux Et Veritas, and the Yale Symphony Orchestra that marry supernatural and celestial Mexican folklore with mesmerizing performances and shows. I aim to powerfully and unforgettably capture the aesthetic fiery and ethereal spirit of mi querido México with traditional music, dance, and narratives. I really loooove dancing cumbias, especially sonidera, costeña, and wepa, as well as anything from Beyoncé to Bach and beyond! You might recognize me playing the Veracruzan folk song “La Bruja” with the 54 haunting bells of the Yale Memorial Carillon, in Bass chronicling the role of cosmic shear in cosmological simulations, at HQ recreating Yale in Minecraft while singing half of John Williams’ scores by memory, and so much more. At Yale, I plan on truly enriching and expanding the visibility of Latiné astrophysicists and composers by offering composition and conducting workshops for musicians of all ages in the New Haven community and producing my own shows at Leitner Planetarium that immerse audiences into the diverse Indigenous cosmologies of Latin America throughout time.
Whether I’m retelling all of my family’s extensive ghost stories I’ve memorized or teaching folks how to improvise while dancing norteñas, La Casa while always live up to its name, and I hope to continually augment the many wonderful experiences, events, and spaces at La Casa year-round!
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