Meet the Team
Student Outreach Specialist
Marisol Luna- López was raised in Santa Paula. She is a proud first-generation college graduate. She attended California State University, Channel Islands where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, along with two minors: Psychology and Chicana/o Studies. Soon after, she attended California State University, Northridge and obtained a Master of Arts in Educational Administration in Higher Education.
Marisol is the oldest of four and helped pave the way for her younger siblings and now she is supporting families to do the same. She loves to encourage students to reach their full potential/education and career goals; by educating the students and their families about the opportunities and resources they have available.
Marisol loves the work that she does because she sees herself in so many of the students that she serves, of similar backgrounds and aspirations. She wishes to create ripple effects, continuing to strive to create equity, a college-going culture and dismantle the barriers facing underserved students. Knowledge is power!
Aside from work, she enjoys spending quality time with her loving family and friends. Marisol loves to watch action, horror and comedy films, going to amusement parks (loves roller coasters) and discovering new books to read.
Student Outreach Specialist (Bilingual)
Susana is a first-generation Latina, born and raised in Ventura. She attended Ventura College as a student-athlete and became a transfer student to California State University, Channel Islands, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Business. Upon graduation, she started her higher education experience at Moorpark College in 2015 and soon after transferred to Ventura College. Working with students enlightened a passion and decided to return to college to pursue a Master of Science in College Student Personnel, graduating from California Lutheran University in 2020.
Susana has worked for the Ventura County Community College District for over 8 years in different capacities. Her wealth of experience includes working with diverse student populations and serving the community. In her latest role, she served as an Admissions & Records Technician Bilingual, Athletic Eligibility Specialist and A&R Undocumented Student Liaison. She is passionate about supporting first generation and marginalized students achieve academic, personal and professional goals.
In her free time, she loves spending time with family, including her son and daughter, going on outdoor hikes and enjoying beautiful sunsets with a coffee in hand.
Student Success and Support Specialist II
Pedro is a first-generation Latino, born and raised in Ventura. He attended Ventura College and transferred to California State University Channel Islands where he earned two bachelor degrees. A Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts.
He began his higher education journey at California State University Channel Islands in 2018 as a Financial Aid Specialist, where he quickly demonstrated his expertise in Financial Aid and dedicated commitment to supporting students. In his latest role at University of California Santa Barbara, he served as an Undergraduate Advisor in the Biology Department, where he played a pivotal role in guiding students through their academic journeys, offering valuable insights into course selections and career paths.
With six years of experience in higher education, Pedro is not only seasoned but also deeply passionate about fostering student success. Committed to fostering an effortless transition, he strives to create a welcoming pathway for incoming high school students to seamlessly integrate into Ventura College.
Outside of work, Pedro finds joy in spending time with family and friends. He immerses himself in soccer, challenges his mind with chess matches, and lets his creativity flow through the art of breakdancing.
Student Success & Support Specialist II
Vanessa was born and raised in Santa Paula. She attended Santa Paula High School and graduated in 2017. Upon graduating, she attended Ventura Community College where she received four Associate Degrees, one of them being an Associates for Transfer in Sociology (2019). Ventura College has always been home for Vanessa, as she worked very closely with the VC Foundation and group clubs on campus.
Following this accomplishment, Vanessa’s pursuit of knowledge led her to attend California State University Channel Islands, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a minor in Communication, marking her graduation in 2021. During Vanessa’s academic journey, she found a passion in connecting with Latinx, Transfer, First-Generation College Students. As someone who identifies with all of these identities herself, Vanessa is now pursuing a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership with an Emphasis in Higher Education and will graduate in May, 2024!
Vanessa has 5 years of working in higher education, and now in her role as a Student Success and Support Specialist II in the Outreach Department, specifically with Career Education. Vanessa is determined and dedicated to assisting students in navigating through their transition into Ventura College and connecting students and families in the community to resources and support programs Ventura College offers.
Outside of work life, Vanessa enjoys spending time with her family, friends, and loved ones, as they are her support system and motivation, siempre.
Director of Marketing and Outreach
Vanessa has over a decade of experience in managing marketing, outreach, and recruitment. She started her professional journey in higher education at Pacific Oaks College, where she grew the college’s offsite cohorts from zero to thirteen in less than two years. In August of 2014, Vanessa was hired at The Michael D. Eisner College of Education (MDECOE) at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) as the sole recruitment coordinator. In this newly created role, she was charged with executing recruitment, outreach plans, and marketing for six academic departments and 27 different credential programs. In January 2019, she left CSUN to pursue a role at College of the Canyons, where she managed the gathering and interpreting of statistical data, international contracts, budget, and communications for the Office of International Programs. In March of 2020, she was given an opportunity to transition to the private sector and work at a growing tech company as a Marketing Manager, where she managed a portfolio of over 20 clients in the legal sector.
