Alumni
Emily Altagracia Guzman
ECM Lead Care Manager
My name is Emily Altagracia Guzman, I graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree in Family Life Education. I currently work as an ECM Lead Care Manager withShields for Families, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening families and communities within underserved populations throughout South Los Angeles. Prior to this role, I served as a Children’s Social Worker with the LA County Department of Children and Family Services, where I supported child safety, family stabilization, and access to essential community resources. My passion for Family Life Education has continued to grow through my ability to support individuals and families within the same community in which I was raised. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to do such meaningful and rewarding work that positively impacts the lives of children and families in my community.
Yailin Garcia
Master of Social Work Student
My name is Yailin Garcia, and I graduated 91ÖÆƬ³§ in 2024 with a Bachelor's Degree in Child Development and Family Studies. After completing my CDFS studies, I knew I was passionate about working with underserved populations, specifically those in the justice system. I was fortunate enough to land a job that focused on rehabilitating individuals coming out of incarceration all while providing court case management services, and I ended up loving it! The more time I spend in this field, the more committed I become to the social work cause, as I see the real-life impact of our established systems. At the moment, I'm currently working towards getting my Master’s in Social Work.
Marisa Borel
Preschool Center Director/Owner
My name is Marisa Borel. I am a 2016 91ÖÆƬ³§ graduate with my Bachelor’s degree in Child Development. Today, I own my own preschool in the city of Ventura, CA. Going into college, I fell in love with the field of Child Development. I was fascinated by the mere fact that the first 5 years have such a tremendous impact on the rest of a child’s life so I started taking classes and quickly decided the career path I wanted to take. After completing one semester of fieldwork at 91ÖÆƬ³§â€™s Child and Family Center, I went on to work there in both the Preschool and Toddler classrooms. This experience has contributed so much to my knowledge in the field of ECE. I completed my degree and then accepted a position as a Lead Teacher at a private preschool and later went on to teach at UC Santa Barbara’s child care center. Working in 3 different preschools helped me gain well-rounded knowledge. January 2019 is when I decided to take the leap and open a preschool. I used my knowledge of the field to create a play-based environment where children would thrive, and parents would feel at ease knowing that their children were in good hands. Today, we are at full capacity with 65 children and a growing waitlist. 91ÖÆƬ³§â€™s Child Development program has set me up for success!
Nicole Pardon
Certified Child Life Specialist
My name is Nicole Pardon, I graduated 91ÖÆƬ³§ in 2007 with a double major in Child Development and Family Life Education. I am currently a Certified Child Life Specialist at Memorialcare Miller Children's and Women's Hospital Long Beach. I have been employed here for 13 years. I began my career in search of becoming a preschool teacher. I was employed at the Child and Family Center during my collage years for 3.5 years and loved every minute of it! I unfortunately had a Traumatic Brain Injury my freshman year of college which left me hospitalized at Memorialcare Long Beach in the ICU. During my extensive hospitalization and recovery, I stumbled upon Child Life. Having been a teen in the hospital, I acquired a comfort level and understanding of the hospital and was approached to volunteer. I then began volunteering with the Child Life Program a few years after my accident, while working as a Blue Apron. For me during that time, my goal was to be a preschool teacher and my volunteering was in Child Life. I took a few classes with Rita Goshert (the manager of the Child Life program) and grew more fascinated with Child Life as a career. Since I had been volunteering with the program for so long, I was approached by Rita toward the end of my college years to be employed as a Child Life Assistant in the Sibling Time program. I jumped at the opportunity and switched my focus to becoming a Child Life Specialist! I applied for the Internship in 2008 and was accepted. Once I past the certification exam, I then became a CCLS! I was moved to working in the General Pediatrics area. In 2012 I was moved to working in the Emergency Department and have been there since!
Samera Terry
Master of Social Work Student
My name is Shamera Terry. I received my Bachelors of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Child Development. Currently, I am a part-time MSW student at 91ÖÆƬ³§ with a specialization in child and family wellbeing (no surprise there!). My undergrad experience, specifically with the child development program, ignited my passion for working with children and families. I enjoy working with the TAY (transitional aged youth) population. I am currently employed through a non-profit agency where I provide intensive case management services which includes individual, collateral, and linkage services.
