As the Executive Director of our organization, Cassie leads governance, strategic planning, and organization development and management to further our mission.
A proud SBHS alumna, Cassie has dedicated the past 15 years to preparing Santa Barbara’s students for higher education. Prior to co-founding Mission Scholars, Cassie founded and operated College Specific, a local private college admissions counseling company, and volunteered her time and expertise for organizations that worked with low-income students. Outside of Mission Scholars, Cassie works with local parents to improve literacy rates in Santa Barbara County.
B.A. Princeton University, English
M.A. UCSB, Education
As the College Access Program Manager, Jacqueline leads comprehensive college prep and college application programming, conducts Peer Mentorship and Parent Engagement workshops, and extends Mission Scholars’ community outreach efforts by sharing our expertise to Santa Barbara’s broader underserved community.
As Bruin Advisor in the Los Angeles and Pasadena Unified School Districts, she worked in College Access, aiming to level the playing field for local, low-income, undocumented, and first-generation students. Her role involved providing guidance and imparting the necessary skills for high school completion, career exploration, and college enrollment.
B.A. UCLA, Anthropology and Sociology
As Director of Strategy, Programs, and Impact, Katie leads the Programs and Marketing Teams, fostering dynamic collaboration with community partners, students, and staff.
A Fulbright Scholar, Katie is a relentless advocate for underrepresented communities, promoting social justice for low-income youth. Her work spans from teaching immigrant communities in Southern California to creating transformative college promotion programs in Chile and Colombia. Katie’s deep love of community leads her to volunteer with Santa Barbara Tennis Patrons, leading street tennis workshops for marginalized youth.
B.A. UCLA, International Development Studies and Spanish
M.Ed. UCSD Bilingual, Multilingual, and Multicultural Education
As College Success Program Coordinator, Kristine helps ensure that students receive the resources, guidance, and mentorship needed to thrive in their post-secondary academic and professional journeys. Kristine also oversees the onboarding and training for Mission Scholars volunteers.
Kristine is a San Marcos High School alumna and a Mission Scholars participant, passionate about educational equity and dedicated to empowering first-generation and low-income students to achieve their goals. She recently served as an intern at the New England Board of Higher Education and currently works at Brown University as an administrative assistant, course developer, and research assistant for the Education Department, in addition to interning with Mission Scholars for three years.
B.A. Candidate Brown University, Education and International and Public Affairs
As the Program Associate, Mayra serves as the staff liaison for Scholars in the College Access and Affordability Programs, and helps manage and co-facilitate program workshops.
During her time as an undergraduate at UCLA, Mayra spent her summers working with underrepresented low-income students from the Bay Area to help them navigate a pre-college experience on Stanford’s campus. Her role involved facilitating college success workshops, SAT prep, and program planning. Mayra strongly believes in leveling the playing field and advocating for resilient first-generation students.
B.A. UCLA, Sociology
As a Development and Marketing Associate, Shyra supports Development and Marketing efforts, and ensures organizational alignment with events, community relations, and administrative tasks that advance strategic planning.
With a certification in project management, Shyra has dedicated her education to advancing local community organizations and school governance across the country, including college internships at the City of Chicago Treasurer's Office and the Sweet Water Foundation. Versed in educational opportunities as an A Better Chance (ABC) Scholar, Shyra is passionate about educational empowerment.
B.A. Lake Forest College, Community Development, Finance, Legal Studies
As the College Affordability Program Manager, Yazmín leads financial aid and scholarship workshops, delivers financial literacy education to Mission Scholars families, and skillfully negotiates aid packages to minimize college debt.
During her time as an undergraduate at UCSB, Yazmín conducted research for the Education and Chicano/a/x Studies Department, shedding light on the challenges faced by first-generation and undocumented students in academia. As a first-generation student herself, Yazmín is passionate about promoting equal access to higher education.
B.A. UCSB, Chicano/a/x Studies
Board of Directors
Chris Bruzzo, President
Julia Rodgers, Secretary
Kim Phillips, Treasurer
Estefania Contreras, Trustee
Cassie Lancaster, Trustee
Katie Kinsella, Trustee
Advisory Committee
Daphne Tebbe
Debby Peterson
Fhernanda Del Toro Arroyo
Joe Howell
Judi Koper
Julie McGeever
Development Committee
Julia Rodgers, Co-Chair
Bess Scribner, Co-Chair
Angie Davis-McGrath
Billie Fitzpatrick
Debby Peterson
Lizzie Peus
Mary Blair
Rachael Stein
Sheri Copus
Suzanne Garrett