Ana was raised in Oakland but her roots trace back to Mexico. As a proud first-gen Latina, she began her higher education journey at Laney College and later transferred to UC Berkeley, where she earned a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Education. Recently, Ana completed her Master’s degree in Postsecondary Administration and Student Affairs at the University of Southern California. Before joining ScholarMatch, she served as an Administrative Assistant at USC’s Office of Academic Programs, where she helped develop support programs for STEM students in research-focused settings. Ana has honed her expertise in the transfer process through various roles, including serving as a college completion success coach at Pasadena City College, facilitating transition courses at the UC Berkeley Transfer Student Center, and mentoring first-gen students with Oakland Promise.