Hi DSP! My name is Julia, and I am a first-generation college graduate born and raised in the Napa Valley. I earned my BA in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz and my MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of San Francisco. Over the years, I’ve built my career in higher education and the non-profit sector, working to support displaced individuals with disabilities and helping youth achieve their educational aspirations.
I am passionate about equity, holistic development, and empowerment for underrepresented communities....
Welcome to DSP! Compassion, integrity, and community are a few of my highest values.
Both inside and outside of my role as a Disability Specialist, I thrive in purposefully envisioning the future, and emboldening others in reaching their educational and personal aspirations. As a person with multiple disabilities, I was a first-generation college student grappling with the social and attitudinal barriers that can exist in the pursuit of a word-class degree at a competitive university. I bring these experiences to my role as a specialist.
Juliana has worked with students with disabilities for over four years, by coaching students one-on-one, connecting students to various on- and off-campus resources, partnering with faculty and staff, and leading academic success workshops and programming for gaining and maintaining study skills necessary for academic success. Prior to joining the Disability Specialist team, Juliana worked in TRiO DSP SSS as a Learning Specialist and an Academic Success Coach at the University of Rochester. She earned an M.Ed. in Counseling - Student Affairs at Northern Arizona University, where she...
Maury joined the DSP team in October 2024. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with an emphasis in Pre-law from Cal State Northridge and a Masters of Arts degree in School Psychology with an emphasis in Counseling and Psychology from University of Massachusetts.
Prior to joining the team, Maury worked as an Academic Counselor/Career Counselor for approximately 6 years at Rochester Institute of Technology in upstate New York serving Deaf/Hard of Hearing students and students with multiple disabilities. In 2022, he relocated to his native...
Gemma joined the UC Berkeley DSP team in October 2024. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies with a minor in Psychology from Cal State East Bay and a Masters of Arts degree in Counseling with an emphasis in College Student Services from Saint Mary’s College of CA. Gemma uses a holistic and person- centered approach when working with students and finds the best solutions for students by using empathy, compassion and active listening.
She brings over 10 years of experience working in higher education mentoring students as...
I’m Jason. I’m originally from Pacifica (yes, the place with Taco Bell on the beach), and I have been working in education since high school. I started by tutoring peers in academic and social skills. When I graduated, I went to San Francisco State University and received my B.A. in Creative Writing. Once out of undergrad, I started working as a paraprofessional and substitute teacher for Special Education classes in the high school setting in the Bay Area. I received my Master’s in Special Education and Teaching Credential from Notre...
Jessica Mangaccat started as a disability specialist with DSP in 2023. Jessica is a first generation college student and a daughter of immigrants. She has an undergraduate degree in Legal Studies and previously worked in the legal field for 10 years as a paralegal before switching careers and getting her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy. Jessica was inspired to work with people with disabilities after her father developed a spinal cord injury. Jessica has experience working with people with disabilities across the lifespan, from children with physical, neurological,...
Karen joined DSP in July 2024. Previously Karen worked in university housing for 18 years at several universities across the country; most recently at Arizona State University. During her time working in housing Karen has extensive knowledge of ESA and service animal accommodations as well as other housing accommodations. Karen received her bachelor's degree in Non-Licensure Elementary Education from Augsburg University and her master's in education in Counseling - Human Relations from Northern Arizona University while she was a graduate assistant in university housing. While working at the...
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Alvaro Francisco Gomez has been working in the field of Disability and Higher Education for the past 25 years.
Welcome to my DSP page! I joined the Berkeley community in January 2018...