Empowering
Students Since 1978

Boun Khamnouane was born in Phongsali, Laos. His family fled communist persecution and migrated to the United States in 1986. He graduated from Golden West High School in Visalia, CA. In 2002, Boun received his Bachelor of Arts in South Southeast Asian Studies from the University California at Berkeley. While at Berkeley, Boun was a co-president of LASR (Laotian American Student Representatives) and founding member of the Southeast Asian Student Coalition (SASC). In fact, he is still actively involved with SASC, particularly with program development.

Boun has worked for the East Bay Consortium/Cal-SOAP (a program affiliated with the Center for Educational Partnerships at UC Berkeley) since he was in college. Boun is very passionate about educating rural and urban youth about life options. In his spare time, Boun tends to his aquariums (saltwater and freshwater), plays in an Asian American basketball league every Sunday, and most importantly, spends time with his lovely wife, daughter, and son.

Devan McFadden, a Richmond-born native, attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Welfare in Fall 2014. During his time at Cal, Devan was heavily involved in programs that focused on mentorship and college access, such as Stiles Hall’s Mentor / Role Model Project, Y-Scholars Program, and Breakthrough Sacramento. Devan continued pursuing his passion for working with youth by becoming a College Adviser Fellow with UC Berkeley’s Destination College Advising Corps (DCAC) and Early Academic Outreach Program (EAOP). Now that Devan is with EBC, he hopes to continue inspiring our community’s youth to research and pursue post-secondary education.

Ruby was born in Jalisco, Mexico. When she was 10 years old, she immigrated with her family to Tulare, a town in the Central Valley of California. In 2019, she graduated valedictorian from Tulare Western High School and then began her studies at UC Berkeley, where she double majored in Psychology and Spanish Literature. She first got involved in college-access work during her undergraduate studies through an organization called Matriculate. Then, in my senior year, she learned about EBC and started working as a college advisor. 2024 will be my third year with the program, and she hopes to continue making a difference in the lives of our Oakland students!

Reynalda Montenegro was born and raised in Oakland, CA. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a minor in Education. During her time at Berkeley, Reynalda discovered her passion for advocating and supporting first-generation students, like herself, in accessing the resources they need to succeed. After graduating, she became a college advisor with UC Berkeley’s Destination College Advising Corps and Early Academic Outreach Program (DCAC/EAOP), continuing her commitment to serving her community. Now, as a Program Coordinator, Reynalda is dedicated to empowering students to explore and pursue their post-secondary options.

Hi, I’m Carlos Penaloza, a Political Science graduate from UCR, originally from Southern California, and now based in Oakland. I’m passionate about public policy and community engagement, and in my free time, I enjoy basketball, exploring music, and collecting art.

Hello! My name is Lorren, my pronouns are they/them. I was born and raised in Los Angeles but I moved and plan to stay in the Bay Area. I love cooking and going on walks!