Meet Our Staff

Karla is working as an instructional aide. She graduated from Northeastern University with a B.S. in biology and a minor in psychology. She hopes to inspire more students to be able to pursue STEM related endeavors through helping them navigate college applications and classes. She wanted to eventually obtain a masters in microbiology. Her interest include painting and drawing while watching Netflix, during her free time. Fun fact, Karla loves hiking when she has the time to.

Frances Brown is a Bay Area local who graduated from San Francisco State University with a Liberal Studies degree and a concentration in Math Education. She has been working in the classroom for six years teaching Algebra, Geometry, and Biology as well as Physical Education and Clothing Design. Before she worked in education, Frances worked for an Immunology Genomics lab at the Oakland Children’s Hospital to build her background in research science. Frances has a passion for making math and science topics accessible for all students and ensuring that all students are provided with avenunes to rebuild relationships with these subjects. When Frances is not at school she is working at the Boys and Girls Club Of San Francisco as one of the directors for their Camp Mendocino Summer Camp. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with cats, supporting community events, and following fashion.

Bio coming soon.

Lizbeth Gomez, an educator, an artist, a human, and social justice advocate. Lizbeth was raised in Oakland and attended Oakland Unified District Schools and despite all of the distractions and obstacles that she came her way growing up, she managed to get through her K-12 school years and graduate. She found motivation, love, and inspiration in mentors that helped her discover a new world, full of possibilities and opened her third eye, realizing the system we lived in is not very fair. Therefore, she decided to fight for people’s rights and started taking action in East Oakland’s community. She co-founded the Homies Empowerment Program serving gang-impacted/involved youth in Oakland, CA since 2009. Lizbeth is currently enrolled in school and continues to mentor youth in the city of Oakland. Lizbeth enjoys hiking, swimming, reading, and spending time with her family.

Emilia Flores was raised in Oakland and attended OUSD K-12, which drove her to join the Alternatives In Action team. Working with the youth and being able to help and assist them in any kind of way has always been a passion of hers. She is here to help students and parents in any of their needs, questions, enrolling, attendance etc. Being a mother of three with kids that are enrolled in the OUSD, she is very familiar with the school system and questions that parents and students may have.

Ruben graduated from Alternatives in Action (formerly Bay Area School of Enterprise) in 2012, and has a collegiate background in Graphic Design and Animation. They assumed their role as the Restorative Justice Coach at AIAHS in the ‘21-’22 school year with a passion for instilling a sense of agency and personal accountability in their students. As an Alum of AIA, Ruben is dedicated to giving back to the community that provided them with the foundational tools for navigating the collegiate and professional world, with hopes that they too may foster the same passions for upholding community values and personal growth in their students. When they aren’t roaming the halls sending students back to class, they are designing and screen printing AIA T-Shirts for community events. In classrooms, they can be found holding their Collaborative Leadership, After School Animation, and Credit Recovery classes. Outside of school they will likely be performing live music, printmaking, or playing and designing tabletop board games.

Bio coming soon

Susana is a graduate of UC Davis, having successfully navigated the path as a transfer student. Hailing from Oakland, she has called this eclectic city home ever since her family immigrated from Michoacán, Mexico. She received her education through a combination of Oakland public and charter schools, as well as community college, an experience that provided a solid foundation and a sense of security within her communities. Susana firmly believes that education and relationship–building are crucial tools for success in life. Beyond academics, she is deeply passionate about various artistic media, finding solace in creativity. Cooking is another avenue through which she expresses her love for others. An avid outdoors enthusiast, she revels in spending time amidst nature. Above all, she cherishes moments with her family, recognizing the profound value of fostering those connections in life.

Bio coming soon.

Nidia was born and raised in Oakland, CA. She is a first-generation college student who graduated from UC Merced with a BA in Sociology and a minor in English. Throughout her undergraduate career, she focused on working in the education field through Oakland Promise as a Crew Leader, SMASH as a To & Through Facilitator, and a paraeducator and instructional aide in previous schools. In her undergraduate career, she was also able to do research and explored how deportation affects families in the Bay Area and through her findings, she found how important it is to hear the voices of the voiceless and give them the opportunity to share their stories. Her future goals are to continue her education by obtaining her Master’s degree and she hopes to continue to work in Oakland and its community. Nidia enjoys going to the gym, reading, hiking, and going to the movies. She is a huge advocate for young people and prioritizes mental health.

Loryn graduated from California State University and worked in education for over 7 years. She enjoys being at Alternatives in Action because is able to share her passion for the World Language subject. She teaches Spanish and loves to support youth to develop and acquire bilingual skills that will help them to become competitive candidates in the workforce. She enjoys cooking, dancing and painting on her free time.

Johana Gonzalez is an Oakland local and alumni of Alternatives In Action High School. She has gone on to earn her bachelor's degree in psychology at Holy Names University and has continued her education, pursuing a masters degree in Counseling In Marriage and Family Therapy at St Mary's University. Additionally, she is supplementing her practice with a Trauma Informed Intervention and Treatment Certificate. Johana supports our youth with IEPs by providing carefully tailored intervention that includes in-class support as well as one-on-one work time. In this role she also meets regularly with all instructional staff to ensure that they are supported in providing accommodations in the classroom. Outside of work Johana can be found at the gym or discovering a new hiking trail.

Jasmine is an alumni of Alternatives in Action High School. Her passion for education started when she was a member of AIAHS’ Executive Team (E-Team). She is currently at SF State completing her Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology. Prior to her current role, Jasmine worked as an Instructional Aide and built close relationships with the youth and their families. Jasmine also supports the community by keeping our bellies full with her delicious baked goods. In her new role as College and Career Coordinator she wants support students in finding resources for their future.

Jason has an extensive background in youth development work. His love for working with youth grew during his time at the Berkeley YMCA where he served as a camp counselor and sports Coach. That job led to Sports 4 Kids where he worked for 6 years, then to Chabot Elementary where he created school-based programs and leagues for youth. Jason was able to transition his work from elementary-age youth to high school youth when he started with Alternatives in Action High School. He knew this was where he wanted to be when he was interviewed by youth. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Jason attended Long Beach State and Clark Atlanta University where he graduated with a degree in Psychology.

Carlos was born and raised in Los Angeles, and has been living in the Bay Area for about eight years. He received his B.A. at the University of California, Riverside, and received his MA at SF State in Ethnic Studies. He has been interested in working in education ever since his experience as an undergraduate at UCR, where he got the opportunity to volunteer at local middle schools holding workshops and organizing conferences for high school students interested in college.

In his free time, he likes to longboard, walk his dog, and journal. He is also very invested in mental health, making time to go to the gym, journal, meditate, and hike in nature whenever he has time. On the rare occasion when he has the chance to, he enjoys taking long drives.

Finally, something people do not know about him: he was a pescatarian for 10 years, with one year being strictly vegetarian. Although he no longer eats a vegetarian diet, he still attempts to eat as healthy as possible.

Through his 20+ years as an educator Daniel has worked as an administrator, classroom teacher, and athletic director, helping found two schools in East Oakland, California, as well as athletic programs and a small publishing company. He has also taught at institutions such as the Rock Hall of Fame Summer Teaching Institute, the University of Michigan, and in El Salvador as an arts education diplomat with the U.S. State Department. Among his interests are developing real-world experiences for students, including organizing an HBCU college tour and a trip to El Salvador, while centering students’ lived experiences as a pathway to rigor and success.He received his M.A. in Secondary Education from the University of Michigan and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from San Francisco State University. Most importantly, he's a husband and father to two young children, Itzayana and Balam.

Bio coming soon.

Bio coming soon.

Ed enjoys sharing his passion and curiosity of art, music and astronomy with his students. After receving his BA in Cinema from SFSU, Ed found his way towards education while working at AIA as IT Engineer, which was soon followed by tutoring math inside the classroom. In order to continue sharing his passions with the school community, Ed pursued and received his CTE Credential for Arts, Media, and Entertainment and now leads AIA's Multimedia Pathway, which includes Media Studies and Multimedia Production. Ed's classroom is a place where students are able to be creatively expressive and emboldend themselves as media literate critical thinkers. You can usually find Ed in the hall learning new songs on the piano.

Andrew is originally from Albany, NY and moved to Oakland in 2019. Andrew started working at AIA in 2019, and has almost 7 years of experience in the field of education, previously working at high schools in Chicago and New York. He obtained a bachelors degree from Union College (NY) in 2017 and received his teaching credential from Reach University in 2021. Andrew teaches Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, and is passionate about Mathematics. He aims for students to have a positive experience in class, and to walk away with skills to succeed in future math classes. His hobbies include about camping, hiking, various supports and reading.

Millawn has been involved with Alternatives in Action for a total of 7 years both as a student and an Instructional Aide, graduating from here in 2016. A fun fact about her is in 2011 she flew to Philadelphia to march for the first-ever Youth Food Bill of Rights. She supports students with academics in class and one-on-one outside of class. She is currently going to Reach University to become a Math teacher in the future. She has had experience with young people in previous places of employment and has brought over learned skills. Her reason for working in this community is to give back to the place that helped shape her and to inspire students to succeed. When she is out of work she enjoys mini art crafts and spending time with her family.

She has worked in the youth development field for 13 years and got her start working in the Alternatives In Action after school program. She has also held positions with Girls Inc. and Oakland Leaf. In her current role at AIA, she ensures strong communication with students and families and supports new students in transitioning into our community. Additionally, Carmen works to build AIA by leading recruitment and enrollment efforts. Carmen goes above and beyond in her work by mentoring student interns, supporting the student services team, and making sure that staff and students alike are provided with the resources they need to be successful.  Outside of school Carmen is a Mother of two and Wife, an avid party planner, and a passionate supporter of small business and entrepreneurial ventures. 

Ricardo has been teaching Humanities at AIA for 6 years. He graduated from San Francisco State University where he majored in Literature. Ricardo enjoys hiking in the mountains, visiting family and making the best chilaquiles. Ricardo writes poetry, short stories and helps plan the International Flor y Canto Literary Festival. He likes supporting students learn about writing from the imagination through poetry, short stories and screenplays. Ricardo was the first of his family to graduate from college and encourages students to find ways to make their communities a better place and reflect on the choices that lead them to a brighter future.