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.
New staff applications are closed. Be on the lookout for updated bios and photos of our growing 2024-2025 team!
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Alex Guzman Caceres Co-Head Student Coordinator Pronouns: she/her/hers !Hola amiguis! My name is Alex Guzman Caceres and I’m a junior in Timothy Dwight majoring in Ethnicity, Race, and Migration. 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 president of ¡Oye! Spoken Word and I’ve absolutely loved sharing my voice and meeting amazing people. I’m also one of the founders of Yale Lawtinas and have done reproductive rights work with Planned Parenthood. When I’m not at La Casa, you can usually find me yapping too much for my own good, writing poetry, or buying long skirts. I can’t wait to meet more Latine people at La Casa and I’m so so excited to be a Head Student Coordinator this year <3. |
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Michaell Santos Paulino Co-Head Student Coordinator Pronouns: he/him/él ¡Hola! My name is Michaell Santos Paulino, a junior in Saybrook College and one of the head student coordinators at La Casa! I was was born and raised in Santiago, Dominican Republic but reside in the the Bronx, NY (Boogie down!!!) I’m majoring in Ethnicity, 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 involved in Sabrosura- Yale’s Premier Latin Dance Team, Quisqueyalies- Yale’s Dominican Student Association, Claro Que Si, Yale Interpretation Network, and the Undergraduate Black Pre-Law Association. In my free time, you can always find me listening to music and hanging out with friends. I’m so excited for this upcoming year and looking forward to some amazing events!
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Aryana Teresa Ramos-Vazquez Pronouns: she/her/hers Hola! I’m Aryana Ramos-Vazquez, a junior living in Saybrook College (SAY WHAT!) from Tuxedo Park, New York. I’m a proud Puerto Rican (I’m also on board as Media Chair of Despierta Boricua, Yale’s Puerto Rican student organization) majoring in biomedical engineering (I also serve as Vice President of YBMES, Yale’s Biomedical Engineering Society chapter), interested in neurotechnology! Outside of the classroom, you’ll most likely find me hanging out at La Casa, cafe or library hopping with friends, or singing in rehearsal or concerts for the Yale Glee Club! I am currently breaking out of my sad-girl-indie music era and am listening to a lot of Ashnikko, Doechii, and the Beaches! Song recs are always welcome. La Casa has been my home since my freshman year, and I am beyond grateful and honored to continue to work and care for the physical space of La Casa Cultural, as well as welcome old (beloved) and new faces to the center this year! |
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Lyn Rodriguez Pronouns: she/they ¡Hola tod@s! My name is Lyn, and I was born and raised in New Haven. My family is from Tlaxcala, Mexico—the smallest state of Mexico! I am returning to Yale as part of the class of ‘28 from a medical leave of absence. I am planning to major in Psychology and enter the Education Studies program. 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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Jocelyn Perez Pronouns: she/her/hers ¡Saludos! My name is Jocelyn and I’m from South Los Angeles, California. My parents are from Puebla, Mexico and I love our Mexican cuisine so let me know if you need any food recommendations! I was part of 2011 class but took a long hiatus from Yale and now I’m clase de 2025. During my time away, I was a Spanish teacher assistant, interpreter and human resource assistant. I’m in Saybrook College (SAY-WHAT) majoring in Ethnicity, Race & Migration. La Casa has always held a special place in my heart as it really is home away from home. Hope to see you all there! I’m a New Haven resident and live with my husband and dog Chucho.
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Benjamin Hernandez Pronouns: he/him/his ¡Hola! My name is Benjamin Hernandez, and I’m a junior in Trumbull College from Dallas, TX who is majoring in History and Global Affairs. I thoroughly enjoy writing and reading the news, and I spent this past summer running around New York City chasing stories with CBS News’ local investigative unit. 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/ella). I’m a sophomore in Timothy Dwight College and I’m majoring in Ethnicity, Race, & Migration and pursuing an Intensive Certificate in Education Studies. I was born and raised in New York City, but spent a lot of my childhood in beautiful Lima, Peru! That being said, I’m half Peruvian and half Pakistani. I am on the Yale Cheer team, and I absolutely adore the sport and my teammates as I have been cheering since high school. Growing up, fashion has been such an important part of my life, and I am the Co-Founder/Co-President of Fashion Lifestyle at Yale where I am the EIC for the magazine, and also Co-EIC for Yale’s Latine Undergraduate Magazine, ¡Claro Que Si! In addition to this, I am also the publicity chair for Yale Lawtinas, and spent my past Spring semester and Summer interning for the Arizona Courts Project. I am deeply passionate about immigration and education justice, abolition, and political advocacy, showcasing these topics through film photography and writing. I am so excited to be returning to the Student Coordinator position at La Casa and be in community with you all! |
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Daniel Torres Pronouns: he/him/his ¡Hola! I’m Daniel, and I am a sophomore at Branford College. I am Puerto Rican and Mexican, coming to Yale from Western PA. I also lived in Shanghai for eight years, which has deeply influenced my perspective and my pursuit of a certificate in Chinese. I am majoring in History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health (HSHM) and pursuing a premed track. In my free time, I love trying new foods, listening to música en español, practicing Mandarin and French, and playing soccer! I am very excited to be returning to La Casa, and I am looking forward to meeting everyone!
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Fátima Sampedro-Valle Pronouns: she/her/hers ¡Hola! My name is Fátima (she/her), and I am a sophomore in Morse College. I was born and raised in New Haven, and I’m currently on the pre-med track. Some things I love to do are to spend time with family and friends, read, cook/bake, and I have a rigorous part time job as my brother’s personal Uber! |
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Natalia Somma Tang Pronouns: she/they ¡Hola! ＊*♡( ⁎ᵕᴗᵕ⁎ ）My name is Natalia Somma Tang, and I’m a first-year in Ezra Stiles College. I love studying culture and trying to understand the human experience– right now, I hope to major in anthropology, but I’m nowhere near certain just yet. I’m half Argentinian and half Cantonese, which fuels a lot of my interest in studying religion and identity! I was born in San Francisco, but spent four years on full scholarship at a boarding school in rural Indiana, where I became passionate about advocacy and public policy. My obsessions include the color pink, sad indie music, makeup/fashion, and queer poetry/literature. I’m a HUGE bookworm so don’t hesitate to give me book recommendations– especially about intersectionality/Latina identity! (I finally read Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldúa this summer and it changed me.) I’m so, so grateful and happy to become a part of the La Casa familia, and I’m very much looking forward to the year ahead! |
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Anthony Sarceno Pronouns: he/him/his ¡Hola! My name is Anthony, and I am half Mexican & half Central American (Guatemalan/Salvadoran). I was born and grew up within the Harbor Area of Los Angeles so I heavily identify with the Chicano identity! I am a freshman in Davenport and plan to major in Economics alongside the Education Studies multidisciplinary academic program. While I have not fully immersed myself at Yale yet, I participated in the First-Year Scholars at Yale (FSY) program this past summer and built a large community of individuals who share my background. I plan to continue building this community through possible clubs/organizations such as Sabrosura, La Unidad Latina, and the Yale Entrepreneurial Society - but for sure through my involvement at La Casa! Outside of Yale, I really enjoy: lifting weights, listening to music, playing video games, and taking pictures. Oh, and I also have two cats back at home that I love a lot, Rex and Milo. |
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Karen Ramirez Pronouns: she/hers/ella ¡Hola! My name is Karen Ramirez (she/hers/ella). I’m a first-year in Pierson College, planning to major in Political Science and Ethnicity, Race, & Migration. I proudly identify as Oaxacan and Guatemalan, and am from Los Angeles, California. I’m heavily involved in the immigrant rights movement, working to help the immigrant community in LA access legal assistance. I love celebrating my culture by attending Oaxacan community events and dancing baile folklórico in my free time! I’m also passionate about capturing moments through videos and photos, which I enjoy editing into aesthetic vlogs. While at Yale, I’m eager to continue advocating for the rights of my immigrant and Latino community through activism. I can’t wait to celebrate our culture together and am so excited to start as a Student Coordinator at La Casa! |
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Nina Feliciano-Batista Pronouns: she/hers/ella Weje!! My name is Nina Feliciano-Batista, and I’m a first-year at Jonathan Edwards, planning on majoring in Ethics, Politics & Economics. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico but I’m super excited to explore New Haven! At Yale, I aim to involve myself in the New Haven art scene and local activism. But, in my free time, I love making Spotify playlists, reading random Wikipedia pages, and visiting new cafes and shops. So don’t be scared to recommend any local spots or songs– music reccs are my love language! I’m incredibly excited to be an SC at La Casa this year and look forward to meeting everyone soon! |
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Gabriellie Cabral Pronouns: she/her/hers ¡Hola! My name is Gabriellie Cabral and I am a first-year at Davenport College. I am half Honduran and half Dominican coming to Yale from Brentwood on Long Island, New York. I am planning on double majoring in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and History of Science, Medicine and Public Health and I am also pre-med (wish me luck lol). I spend my free time either creating dance choreography or reading a good book. I am always blasting music and I am always talking about my dogs. At Yale, I look to be a member of the Sabrosura Latin Dance Team, volunteer at the local hospitals, and dive deep into human biology and the extensive history of medicine. I am super excited to be a Student Coordinator at La Casa and I am ready for an amazing year! |
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Juan Araujo Pronouns: he/him/his ¡Hola! My name is Juan Araujo, and I’m a Salvadoran-American from Dallas, TX. I’m a first-year student in Davenport College, planning to major in Global Affairs. In my free time, I love eating (I’m a huge foodie!), binge-watching shows, thrifting, and listening to music. Some of my favorite artists right now are Sade, Solange, and The Internet. I also love fashion and expressing my creativity with it. At Yale, I’m excited to dive into my interests and make the most of my time here. I’m thrilled to work at La Casa this year and can’t wait to create lasting memories with everyone. |
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Samantha Álvarez Pronouns: she/her/ella ¡Hola! My name is Samantha Álvarez (she/ella). I’m an incoming transfer and hope to major in Economics and Political Science. I completed my first year at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). I am looking forward to experiencing a completely distinct geographical location as a rising sophomore! I was born and raised in the Rio Grand Valley (RGV), a Latinx enclave near the Texas-Mexico border. In my free time, I enjoy running, exploring nature with friends, and dancing to cumbias and huapangos! I am looking forward to working in La Casa, and I am excited to meet everyone! |
