Meet Our Staff

Coming soon.

Coming soon.

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.

I support students and families with a trauma informed approach to mental health counseling. I received my BS in Environmental Studies from Lewis & Clark College, and my Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology from California State University - East Bay.

I have been supporting students and families in school based roles for the past 5 years and have worked in the mental health field for 9+ years. I believe in the importance of meeting a person where they are. I am a Bay Area native and try to explore the natural beauty the Bay has to offer as much as possible.

Coming Soon

I teach 9/10th grade English Language Arts, 12th grade US Government & Economics, AP Seminar, and one section of PE. Beyond my teaching responsibilities, I'm excited to be AIA's Athletic Director in collaboration with Oakland Unity High School.

I received a BA from UC Berkeley in 2021 and a Master's Degree in Education from National University in 2023. This will be my 5th year of teaching -- 2nd year at Alternatives in Action High School. I am also in my third year working part-time at Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth from low-income backgrounds to and through college.

When teaching, I love to make personal connections with students while pushing a rigorous academic environment that is supported by trusting and caring relationships. When not teaching, I love participating in sports of all kinds, mainly pickup basketball.

My name is Beverly, and I am proud to serve as the Operations Assistant at AIA. In this role, I will be supporting Nidia with any operational needs, helping in the office, and covering classes when needed. I am an alumna of Alternatives in Action High School, earned my certificate in Early Childhood Education, and am currently pursuing a degree in Business Management.

Over the past 11 years, I have worked in a variety of educational roles, starting as an after-school coach when Alternatives in Action was one unified organization. Since then, I have served as a restorative justice coach at AIA and worked at Lighthouse Community Public Charter School for more than four years, where I grew from attendance clerk to office manager. Each of these experiences has strengthened my commitment to giving back to my East Oakland community.

I believe every student has a voice, and being able to support them in becoming successful brings me joy. Having personally experienced the struggles of attending schools without the right resources or support, I strive to work alongside each student to ensure they feel seen and empowered. I am fluent in English and Spanish, and outside of work, I enjoy discovering new coffee spots—so feel free to share any recommendations!

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.

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.

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.

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.

I love math and I strive to teach with a creative and systematic approach to math education as I focus on the whole being and the joy of learning. I was a substitute teacher in OUSD and before that worked with community partners on cultural arts programming. I designed and implemented a dance program focusing on creative choreography of children which focused on serving Oakland Youth and inspiring their own creativity including organizing performances at school sites. I created a series of teaching tools with a Hip Hop dancer using dance to teach math.

I have been dancing and performing professionally my whole life and I choreograph for my dance company and direct dance films. I moved to Oakland in 2013 to raise my children. I graduated Cum Laude with Honors in Mathematics from Smith College and I have tutored privately and taught math in various settings for over 25 years.

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.

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.

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.

Amanda Majail-Blanco is a first-generation daughter, mother of twin boys, an artist at heart, as well as part-time student at CSU East Bay where she is currently earning a B.A in Political Science.

Here at Alternatives in Action she works as an Family Liaison supporting families and students to strengthen student/parent success. Outside of school Amanda supports systems' impacted families in Oakland but also all over the Bay Area. Working with young people, young parents and families has always been a life-long career path and passion for Amanda, which she approaches with humility, compassion and grace. The journey of learning to advocate for her community, and her personal healing is neverending. She wishes to continue to do direct service work as long as she can, as well as continue to learn and grow with Alternatives in Action!

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. 

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.

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.