Professional Staff
Leydy Sandoval
Title: Program Coordinator
Bio: Coming Soon
Contact: lsanchezsandoval2@ucmerced.edu
Schedule: Here
Hours: In-person Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays 9:00am - 5:00pm | Remote Mondays, Thursday 9:00am - 5:00pm
Student Staff
Brianna Ochoa
Title: Student Coordinator
Bio:I am a third year currently studying psychology. I am aspiring to work in a criminal law related field. I am excited to see all the scholars in the Guardian Scholars Program this Spring semester!
Contact: bochoa12@ucmerced.edu
Schedule: Here
Hours: M OFF; T 12:00pm - 4:30pm; W 3:00pm - 5:00pm; TH 1:00pm - 5:00pm; F 11:00am - 4:00pm
Michelle Thomas
Title: Student Coordinator
Bio: I am in my second year studying political science. As an aspiring criminal justice lawyer, I intend to go above and beyond my role in GSP to help populations that may need more support in higher education. I am most ecstatic to see new and continuing students!
Contact: michellethomas@ucmerced.edu
Schedule: Here
Hours: M 9:30am - 11:30am, 3:00pm - 5:00pm; T 12:00pm - 2:30pm; W 3:00pm - 5:00 pm, TH 12:00pm - 2:30pm; F 11:00am - 3:00pm
Aaron Castillon
Title: Student Coordinator
Bio: I am a first-year majoring in Mechanical Engineering at UC Merced. As a Student Coordinator for the Guardian Scholars Program, I support scholars by organizing workshops, events, and resources that promote personal and academic growth. I am excited to build on the connections I made and be inviting for those many more to come. Some of my interests include playing my guitar, listening to music, hanging out with friends, and learning about personal finance.
Contact: acastillonsanchez@ucmerced.edu
Schedule: Here
Hours: M 3:30pm - 6:00 pm; T 3:00pm - 5:00pm; W 2:30pm - 6:00pm; TH 9:00am - 11:00am, 5:00pm - 5:30pm; F 12:30pm - 6:00pm
Emi Villavicencio
Title: Student Coordinator
Bio: I am a third-year student at UC Merced pursuing a B.A. in English with a double minor in Writing Studies and Community Research and Service. I have been selected for the role of Guardian Scholars student coordinator and am excited to contribute to the Guardian Scholars program. In my free time, I enjoy reading and writing poetry. Through writing, I have been able to express my creative outlet and enhance my communication skills. Over the past two years in my educational journey, I have worked with two nonprofits whose focus is on bettering the community and supporting the people of Merced County. I have also held another position at UC Merced as a student assistant. Through these previous roles, I have learned communication skills, the importance of collaboration, creativity, and marketing campaigns. I am eager to apply these skills in my newfound role as a student coordinator for the program.
Contact: evillavicencio2@ucmerced.edu
Schedule: Coming Soon
Hours: M 1:30pm - 3:20pm; T 1:30pm - 5:30pm; W 1:30pm - 3:20pm; TH 1:30pm - 5:30pm; F 1:30pm - 5:30pm
Student Interns
Andrea Canedo
Title: Intern, Event Planning
Bio: I'm from SoCal around the Riverside area. I enjoy hiking and cooking, I also originally wanted to be a Robotics major at UCR but ultimately decided to major in Electrical Engineering.
Contact: acanedo@ucmerced.edu
David Miguel
Title: Intern, Social Media
Bio: I'm a first-year mechanical engineering student graduating in 2028. My role with the Guardian Scholars this semester will be as a student intern focusing on our social media exposure.
Contact: davidmiguel@ucmerced.edu
Bright Success Center Student Representative
Maddison Crump
Title: Belonging and Resilience Programs Fellow
Bio: I’m a 4th year Psychology Major. I’m the current department fellow for the GSP! My job includes cross-team collaboration work and helping different programs within the Bright Success Center succeed. Fun fact, I was previously the lead student coordinator GSP, so this program holds a special place in my heart. If you need advice or anything -- even just to chat -- you can schedule a meeting with me at the link below.
Contact: mcrump2@ucmerced.edu
