Meet the Team

The FIRST Program Team Bios
	Francisco J. Lopez M.A [email protected] (323) 546-9878 FIRST Program Coordinator I am the middle child of six siblings and father to two beautiful kids. I consider myself to be a First Generation Tagger-Chicano that was raised in Watts and South Central. Prior to working at El Camino, I did community based work doing gang prevention and intervention work for nearly 10 years. I am passionate about utilizing different elements of Hip-Hop and Indigenous based practices to foster resiliency and promote healing in marginalized black and brown communities. With this, I have been fortunate to co-found South Central Arts, a grassroots network that seeks to elevate the work of local entrepreneurs, local artists, and cultural producers in South Central Los Angeles Since 2017. I earned my Bachelor's degree from California State University Dominguez Hills and my Masters degree from California State University Northridge. Both of my degrees are in Chicanx Studies. My thesis centers on Graffiti Muralism. Title: "The Barrio Beautification Effect: "Utilizing Graffiti as A Tool to Build Resilience, Resistance, and Healing with Adolescent Boys and Young Men of Color in Los Angeles. A graffiti-based mural program designed to uplift adolescent Latino boys and other young men of color who have experienced economic hardships, violence, and systemic marginalization in low-income communities. Growing up I always hoped for mentorship opportunities. I utilized graffiti as an outlet to express myself and to build community with people that I went to school with. Although I got into some trouble, graffiti meant a lot to me. I have utilized my aspirations and cultural practices that I learned growing up and applied it to my professional work.
	Isabel Gonzalez [email protected] (424) 488-3982 FIRST Program Student Specialist My name is Isabel, but you may call me Izzy. I am the FIRST Student Specialist and I am here to support FIRST students with all possible resources on and off campus as needed. Supporting students with resources regarding basic needs while being in FIRST is such a huge priority because when our basic needs are not met, we are unable to successfully complete our educational goals. Providing access to basic needs and educational resources is important to me because I started my educational journey as a low-income single mother that was formerly incarcerated. I was able to navigate my resources on campus to provide my daughter child-care, grants for books, and even a student worker position. Despite being formerly incarcerated, and a survivor of domestic violence, I was able to successfully graduate from El Camino College in 2019 with a degree in Sociology. I would have never been able to do that without the resources offered to me. So now I am here to offer what was given to me and more to support the next student that walks in my shoes. In the near future my goal is to go back to school and finish my Bachelors in Sociology and further my education. At the moment I enjoy my time here serving students with FIRST because paying it forward has always been important to me. I currently am enjoying the time I am able to spend with my daughter on taking the leap and exploring new adventures. I am currently on a journey of practicing self-care and appreciating nature for what it offers to our world.
	Ana Rodriguez Ana Rodriguez (she/her/ella) is a dedicated mental health provider with years of experience providing behavioral and mental health services to foster youth and at-promise youth. Drawing from both her professional experience and lived expertise, Ana approaches her work through a trauma-informed, survivor-centered lens rooted in empathy, compassion, and care. Ana graduated from UC Berkeley in 2021 with a double major in Social Welfare and Gender & Women’s Studies. She is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work at California State University, Long Beach, and is expected to graduate next spring. Ana’s journey into re-entry work began during the first year of her MSW program through her work with the FIRST Program at El Camino College. This experience sparked her passion for supporting formerly incarcerated and system-impacted individuals as they navigate higher education, re-entry, and new opportunities. Since then, she has continued to grow her experience in this field, including providing services to probation-involved youth and youth in custody. At the heart of Ana’s work is a belief in the power of second chances and in the inherent dignity and potential of every person. She is committed to creating spaces where individuals impacted by incarceration are met with understanding rather than judgment and where their experiences, strengths, and aspirations are valued. Ana envisions a future where prisons and jails are replaced by greater investments in rehabilitation, community, healing, hope, and understanding.
	Albert Medina [email protected] FIRST Student Success Navigator Albert Medina is a community outreach and behavioral health professional dedicated to supporting previously incarcerated and system-impacted individuals in accessing higher education and stabilizing their lives. He began this work in 2016 as a bilingual tutor and interpreter, serving incarcerated and justice‑impacted youth and adults. Albert finished an Associate’s Degree in Behavioral Science from El Camino College and later completed his Bachelor of Science in Human Services, with an emphasis in Mental Health, at California State University Fullerton. A former Project Rebound student, Albert served as a peer mentor and outreach team member, integrating his academic training with his lived experience to empower others navigating re‑entry. Albert’s professional background includes project management, mentoring, case management, systems navigation, and evidence‑based programming across nonprofit, higher education, and community‑based organizations such as Los Padrinos, Da Vinci Rise, and First Place for Youth. He is bilingual in English and Spanish and skilled in facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and documentation. He is currently pursuing a dual Master of Social Work / Master of Public Administration at California State University San Bernardino (expected May 2028).
	Chidi Agu [email protected] Counselor I have been helping people reach their academic goals for nearly a decade and love the work that I get to do. My unique experiences throughout higher education have included me starting college across the country, dropping out, transferring from Mt. San Antonio College, graduating summa cum laude from UC Santa Barbara with degrees in psychology and sociology, studying public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and most recently, receiving my master's in education counseling from San Diego State University. I believe everyone has a story worth listening to and that students too often blame themselves (or are blamed by others) for systemic failings. Working with Black students is sacred work and I'm grateful for it every day. Outside of work, I love bike riding, creative writing, philosophy, vegan food, sitcoms, video games, and basketball -- Go Lakers!
	Christopher Hurd [email protected] FIRST Program Counselor Christopher Hurd received an AA in Liberal Arts from Santa Monica College, transferred to University of California, Los Angeles and earned a BA in Sociology. He earned a Master of Arts in Counseling from Loyola Marymount University. Prior to coming to El Camino College as a Counselor, Chris spent nearly a decade in K-12 mostly as a College Counselor and High School Administrator. Most recently, Chris was the Director of Programs for Southern California at an educational nonprofit named CollegeSpring. Counseling really chose me more so than me choosing it. While attending Santa Monica College, my experiences with my counselors Sherri Bradford and Cassandra Patillo in the Black Collegians Program had a profound impact on my life trajectory. Their encouragement as well as their willingness to consistently challenge me to push harder and strive to be better really made me want more for myself. That experience has driven me to want to provide that same sort of support for our students as I know what kind of impact it can have. If I could encourage a student to do anything, it would be to embrace the struggle. The focus needs to be on reaching the ultimate goal, if it takes a day, a week, multiple years, it is worth the effort. Take advantage of the resources. Advocate for yourself as no one should have more interest in your success than you.

The FIRST Program Team Bios

Francisco J. Lopez M.A

(323) 546-9878

FIRST Program Coordinator

I am the middle child of six siblings and father to two beautiful kids. I consider myself to be a First Generation Tagger-Chicano that was raised in Watts and South Central. Prior to working at El Camino, I did community based work doing gang prevention and intervention work for nearly 10 years. I am passionate about utilizing different elements of Hip-Hop and Indigenous based practices to foster resiliency and promote healing in marginalized black and brown communities. With this, I have been fortunate to co-found South Central Arts, a grassroots network that seeks to elevate the work of local entrepreneurs, local artists, and cultural producers in South Central Los Angeles Since 2017.

I earned my Bachelor's degree from California State University Dominguez Hills and my Masters degree from California State University Northridge. Both of my degrees are in Chicanx Studies. My thesis centers on Graffiti Muralism. Title: "The Barrio Beautification Effect: "Utilizing Graffiti as A Tool to Build Resilience, Resistance, and Healing with Adolescent Boys and Young Men of Color in Los Angeles. A graffiti-based mural program designed to uplift adolescent Latino boys and other young men of color who have experienced economic hardships, violence, and systemic marginalization in low-income communities.

Growing up I always hoped for mentorship opportunities. I utilized graffiti as an outlet to express myself and to build community with people that I went to school with. Although I got into some trouble, graffiti meant a lot to me. I have utilized my aspirations and cultural practices that I learned growing up and applied it to my professional work.

Isabel Gonzalez

[email protected]

(424) 488-3982

FIRST Program Student Specialist

My name is Isabel, but you may call me Izzy. I am the FIRST Student Specialist and I am here to support FIRST students with all possible resources on and off campus as needed. Supporting students with resources regarding basic needs while being in FIRST is such a huge priority because when our basic needs are not met, we are unable to successfully complete our educational goals. Providing access to basic needs and educational resources is important to me because I started my educational journey as a low-income single mother that was formerly incarcerated. I was able to navigate my resources on campus to provide my daughter child-care, grants for books, and even a student worker position. Despite being formerly incarcerated, and a survivor of domestic violence, I was able to successfully graduate from El Camino College in 2019 with a degree in Sociology. I would have never been able to do that without the resources offered to me. So now I am here to offer what was given to me and more to support the next student that walks in my shoes.

In the near future my goal is to go back to school and finish my Bachelors in Sociology and further my education. At the moment I enjoy my time here serving students with FIRST because paying it forward has always been important to me. I currently am enjoying the time I am able to spend with my daughter on taking the leap and exploring new adventures. I am currently on a journey of practicing self-care and appreciating nature for what it offers to our world.

ana

Ana Rodriguez

Ana Rodriguez (she/her/ella) is a dedicated mental health provider with years of experience providing behavioral and mental health services to foster youth and at-promise youth. Drawing from both her professional experience and lived expertise, Ana approaches her work through a trauma-informed, survivor-centered lens rooted in empathy, compassion, and care.

Ana graduated from UC Berkeley in 2021 with a double major in Social Welfare and Gender & Women’s Studies. She is currently pursuing her Master of Social Work at California State University, Long Beach, and is expected to graduate next spring.

Ana’s journey into re-entry work began during the first year of her MSW program through her work with the FIRST Program at El Camino College. This experience sparked her passion for supporting formerly incarcerated and system-impacted individuals as they navigate higher education, re-entry, and new opportunities. Since then, she has continued to grow her experience in this field, including providing services to probation-involved youth and youth in custody.

At the heart of Ana’s work is a belief in the power of second chances and in the inherent dignity and potential of every person. She is committed to creating spaces where individuals impacted by incarceration are met with understanding rather than judgment and where their experiences, strengths, and aspirations are valued. Ana envisions a future where prisons and jails are replaced by greater investments in rehabilitation, community, healing, hope, and understanding.

Albert Medina

[email protected]

FIRST Student Success Navigator

Albert Medina is a community outreach and behavioral health professional dedicated to supporting previously incarcerated and system-impacted individuals in accessing higher education and stabilizing their lives. He began this work in 2016 as a bilingual tutor and interpreter, serving incarcerated and justice‑impacted youth and adults. Albert finished an Associate’s Degree in Behavioral Science from El Camino College and later completed his Bachelor of Science in Human Services, with an emphasis in Mental Health, at California State University Fullerton.

A former Project Rebound student, Albert served as a peer mentor and outreach team member, integrating his academic training with his lived experience to empower others navigating re‑entry.

Albert’s professional background includes project management, mentoring, case management, systems navigation, and evidence‑based programming across nonprofit, higher education, and community‑based organizations such as Los Padrinos, Da Vinci Rise, and First Place for Youth. He is bilingual in English and Spanish and skilled in facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and documentation.

He is currently pursuing a dual Master of Social Work / Master of Public Administration at California State University San Bernardino (expected May 2028).

Chidi Agu

[email protected]

Counselor

I have been helping people reach their academic goals for nearly a decade and love the work that I get to do. My unique experiences throughout higher education have included me starting college across the country, dropping out, transferring from Mt. San Antonio College, graduating summa cum laude from UC Santa Barbara with degrees in psychology and sociology, studying public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School, and most recently, receiving my master's in education counseling from San Diego State University. I believe everyone has a story worth listening to and that students too often blame themselves (or are blamed by others) for systemic failings. Working with Black students is sacred work and I'm grateful for it every day.

Outside of work, I love bike riding, creative writing, philosophy, vegan food, sitcoms, video games, and basketball -- Go Lakers!

Christopher Hurd

[email protected]

FIRST Program Counselor

Christopher Hurd received an AA in Liberal Arts from Santa Monica College, transferred to University of California, Los Angeles and earned a BA in Sociology. He earned a Master of Arts in Counseling from Loyola Marymount University.

Prior to coming to El Camino College as a Counselor, Chris spent nearly a decade in K-12 mostly as a College Counselor and High School Administrator. Most recently, Chris was the Director of Programs for Southern California at an educational nonprofit named CollegeSpring.

Counseling really chose me more so than me choosing it. While attending Santa Monica College, my experiences with my counselors Sherri Bradford and Cassandra Patillo in the Black Collegians Program had a profound impact on my life trajectory. Their encouragement as well as their willingness to consistently challenge me to push harder and strive to be better really made me want more for myself. That experience has driven me to want to provide that same sort of support for our students as I know what kind of impact it can have. If I could encourage a student to do anything, it would be to embrace the struggle. The focus needs to be on reaching the ultimate goal, if it takes a day, a week, multiple years, it is worth the effort. Take advantage of the resources. Advocate for yourself as no one should have more interest in your success than you.