About Me: JPN Fellow Intros

[JPN Admin]

Hello JPN Cohort 2021!

As we prepare for our first session, please take a few minutes to introduce yourself using the prompts below. Please make sure to click the “Reply” button on the top right corner of this page to reply to this thread.

1. Your name
2. Pronouns
3. Job title / affiliation (if applicable)
4. What topic(s) within public policy and/or social justice are you most interested in engaging or hearing about?
5. A random fact about you!

[e_powells]

Hello Everyone!

My name is Evan Nicole Powell. My pronouns are her/she/hers. I am currently a juvenile social worker/case manager for the Children’s Law Center. I work alongside my client’s attorneys to close out their active delinquency and dependency cases. A few topics that currently have my interest are the dismantling of DJJ, racial sentencing disparities, and racial disparities within law enforcement.

A random fact about me is … my father is an ex pitcher for the Dodgers.

I am excited to connect with you all!

[Norma (she/hers)]

Hi!
My name is Norma Lopez – pronouns she/her/hers. Currently, I am the Executive Director for the County of Orange Human Relations Commission. I am particularly interested in the issues of representation in government, effective practices to eliminate race-based hate within the context of restorative justice, and dismantling white supremacy on an individual, community, and systemic levels.

Random fact – I am a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who lived in Panama from 2004-2006.

[marinatrejo7515]

Hi everyone!

My name is Marina Trejo and my pronouns are she/her/hers. As of right now, I am a third year at California State University, Fresno double majoring in criminology and psychology. In regard to current issues I am particularly passionate about, privatized prisons in relation to mass incarceration and its affect on legislation concerning law enforcement policing.

A random fact about myself is that I am the first one in my family to graduate high school!

[Rebecca_Dobkin]

Hello! My name is Rebecca Dobkin. My pronouns are she/her/hers. I’m a private investigator, working for myself. I primarily do criminal defense work, but also enjoy doing civil rights work. There’s so much I’m interested in hearing and engaging about. Simply put, I’m interested in creating/strenghtening systems that value our humanity. That includes getting people out of jails and prisons when there are better places for them to be, making sure that families that immigrate to this country stay together and are safe, law enforcement accountability to the people they are supposed to serve, and addressing the need for everyone to have health care, education, a safe place to live, and food to eat. So…yeah…anything along those lines.

As for a random fact….I have an identical twin sister!

[biancatorresmurray]

Hello! My name is Bianca Torres Murray, and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am a first-year student at UC Berkeley, where I am an intended Ethnic Studies major and an intended Public Policy minor. I’m originally from Echo Park in Los Angeles. I am very interested in the intersections of race and public policy. Additionally, I’m interested in learning more about the politics of innocence, surveillance technology, deputy sheriff gangs, law enforcement’s usage of non-disclosure agreements, and more.

I look forward to meeting you all!

Random fact: I have a collection of stickers.

[jasminerowens]

Hello, my name is Jasmine Marchbanks (she, hers, her). I currently work as a Youth Organizer at Congregations Organized for Prophetic Engagement and will be starting my first year of law school in the fall. I am interested in racial justice and working with underserved communities to amplify their voices. I am interested in learning more about how to create policy through a justice-oriented lens.

Random Fact: I have seen the stick Moses used to part the Red Sea.

[Angelaparks10]

Hello everyone! My name is Angela Parks (she, her, hers). I am currently a full time student and full time advocate for social justice reform. I am a member of several organizations including Initiate Justice and The Drop LWOP Coalition just to name a few. I am formerly incarcerated and was very involved with inside organizing within the prison. I know that real change comes from making things permanent and I am excited to learn more about policy changes and the implementation of these laws. I look forward to learning with you all.

Random Fact: I started golfing a few months back and I’m hooked!

[Dax]

Hey everyone! My name is Dax (he/him/they). I am a coordinator with Californians United for a Responsible Budget (CURB). CURB is a coalition of 80+ organizations seeking to divest from policing, jails and prisons and invest in community-based systems of care. I got involved with social justice advocacy after experiencing the harm of the prison industrial complex in my immediate family. Super grateful and excited to learn and be in community with you all.

Random Fact: I have about 25 houseplants in my apartment.

[Andrew Garcia]

Hello everyone! My name is Andrew Garcia (he/him/his). I recently graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, with a Minor in Law and Society. I am actually currently employed with the university as a research coordinator. I am currently contracted by the Gang Reduction and Youth Development (GRYD) program to conduct research on how their gang interventionists and case workers use trauma-informed care for themselves and their clients. Some of the areas I am interested in are juvenile justice, CSEC, trauma informed-care, racial justice, and working with underserved communities to give them a better sense of collective efficacy and a safer environment.

Random fact about me: I am from a small town in Central California, called Woodlake, and up until I graduated high school I used to work in the fields picking oranges and other fruit.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Andrew Garcia.

[mayaserna]

1. Your name
2. Pronouns
3. Job title / affiliation (if applicable)
4. What topic(s) within public policy and/or social justice are you most interested in engaging or hearing about?
5. A random fact about you!

Hi all, my name is Maya Serna and my pronouns are she/her/hers. I am currently a full time student at the University of California – Santa Barbara. I’m a third year majoring in political science and minoring in poverty, inequality, and social justice. Along with school, I help run a small plant business and work part time for State Farm as a social media manager. I am most interested in the juvenile justice system, restorative justice, reentry programs, current public policy changes regarding the criminal justice system, and food justice/food sovereignty. I plan to go to law school or pursue my masters in public policy following graduation so this program is a great foundational point I can build upon!

Random Fact: I also have a deep passion for cooking and am always thinking about going to culinary school instead of law school or getting my masters.

[aramirezzarate]

Hi all,

My name is Ana Ramirez-Zarate, my pronouns are she/her. I am a Policy Analyst at Resilience Orange County, a youth centered organization based in Santa Ana, CA. I am most interested in the areas of crimmigration, juvenile justice and race/ethnicity.

Random fact:
My favorite plant is succulents.

[C.Tona]

Hello,

My name is Cualnezca Tonantzin Miranda (she/her/hers) and I come from the Yaqui, Blackfoot and Otomi Tribal Nations, currently I reside in the original homeland of the Shingle Springs band of Miwok Indians, also known as North Sacramento. I am the Associate Director of the Native American Resource Center at American River College. The current issues I’m interested in delving into are restorative justice practices through an Indigenous healing lens, dismantling the school to prison pipeline, missing and murdered Indigenous women and voter suppression.

A random fact about me is that I’ve started taking piano lessons, so wish me luck:)

I look forward to meeting you all and sharing space with you, thank you!

[mdsoto]

Hi everyone! My name is Michiko Soto, my pronouns are she, her, hers. I work as the co-manager for the Youth & Racial Justice department at Fathers & Families of San Joaquin. Our department provides direct service and advocacy for transitional-aged youth and their families while also organizing through local and statewide coalitions to end the school to prison pipeline. I am passionate about creating an education system that is equitable and nurturing for all students.

Random Fact: I am the first in my family to earn a Master’s degree! I wrote my thesis on media representations of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

[Bettina Ho]

Hello!

My name is Bettina Ho (she/her/hers). I’m an Associate Director of Development at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). I fundraise, oversee young leadership, board recruitment and volunteers at ADL. Our mission is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people & secure justice and fair treatment to all since 1913.

I’m interested in juvenile criminal justice reform, micro and macro policies that fight the injustice in the criminal justice system, and how we dismantle or better regulate the private prison systems. Slightly off-topic, I would like to explore how we can systematically incorporate nature, meditation and yoga to reduce trauma in our society and create better understanding between communities.

I love to cook and last year picked up (balcony) gardening as a hobby; however, my (green) thumb is more like a camouflage thumb. Some plants flourish while others are fatal casualties.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Bettina Ho.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 6 months ago by Bettina Ho.

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