Our Founder
Paul Riordan, President Emeritus/Founder
Retired SAUSD Administrator & Educator
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Paul was born in New Haven, CT in 1931 and passed away in 2021. He graduated with an Economics degree from Yale and has been a pillar for education in the Santa Ana community. He was a Kiwanis Santa Ana and Elks Lodge member. He taught at Santa Ana High School for 39 years, crafting several programs including SAUSD's Regional Occupation Program. He founded AISS in 1997 and then launched it in 2001.
Congratulations Debbie Wells on receiving the 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award from Chapman University!
Meet the Team
Staff
Debbie Wells
Executive Director, MS ITM. MBA. BA CIS
Executive Director Debbie Wells obtained a bachelor's degree from Chapman University in Computer Information Systems, and two master's degrees in Information Technology Management and Business Administration from Webster University. Her background includes over 16 years in the international technology distribution giant, Ingram Micro, Inc. as a New Accounts Manager, IM Logistics Client Program Manager, and Government Account Manager. Debbie managed and supervised up to 35 people in several locations including Buffalo, New York; Miami, Florida; Mexico; and the Philippines​
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Debbie is uniquely qualified with over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector. Because of her commitment to serving her community, California State Senator Tom Umberg from District 34 recently recognized her as a Woman of Distinction for 2023. Debbie also received the 2021 Chapman University Distinguished Alumni Award and was honored as Person of the Year in 2019 by the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce at their annual Difference Makers Luncheon. She previously served as a mentor and board member for the Career Beginnings Mentoring Program, which previously partnered with the Achievement Institute on planned events. Debbie serves on the Kiwanis Santa Ana Board and chairs the Community Service Committee. Debbie graduated from OCTANE’s Nonprofit Accelerator Program and has a passion for guiding the educational, personal, and professional development of young people. Debbie is the only full-time staff member and has been working for the Achievement Institute for over 15 years.
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Elena Rose Lopez
Program Manager, BA Sociology, AISS Class of 2021​​​
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Elena Lopez, an AISS Class of 2021 alumna, now serves as the AISS Program Manager. Collaborating closely with the executive director, she designs curriculum and evaluates scholars’ performance throughout their two-year program. Elena, who recently graduated early from UCSD with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology (with a concentration in Medicine Science), gained confidence in leadership roles during her AISS experience. Her passion for healthcare drives her aspiration to attend chiropractic school and open her own clinic, where she can promote healing through holistic medicine practices. In her role, Elena oversees scholars’ development, conducts alumni outreach, assists with research, and mentors students in professional skills, STEM career awareness, college readiness, team building, and leadership.
OUR TEAM
Salvador Rojas ​
Lead Instructor, Program Advisor, BA
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Salvador graduated from The University of Redlands in 2008 with a BA in History. He developed leadership and problem-solving through Eagle Scout training, and communication and interpersonal skills through Disneyland customer service. By posing a Question of the Day prior to each class session, scholars say, “he helps us learn about each other outside of the program and think about events that shaped us into the people we are today.” A dual citizen of the United States and Chile, Salvador enjoys speaking Spanish and visiting his father’s homeland biennially.
Omar Cariño
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Omar Cariño graduated from Segerstrom High School and AISS in 2017. Omar earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from Boston University in 2021 and taught high school mathematics and coached volleyball for two years at Boston Latin School, the oldest public school in America. Omar is now working on his Master of Science in Sport Management at the University of San Francisco. Omar has been an AISS advisor since December 2023 and is currently the leading instructor for the Class of 2026 cohort.
ALUMNI ADVISORS
Liz Mendoza
AISS Executive Assistant, Health Care Administration, AISS Alumna 2019
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Liz Mendoza is an alumni of the AISS program Class of 2019. After graduating from Saddleback high school, she attended California State University - Long Beach and obtained a bachelor’s in Health Care Administration. Through AISS, she was able to develop her public speaking and networking skills which tremendously helped her in college and networking. Currently, Liz is giving back to her community as an Executive Assistant in the AISS Program. She helps new cohorts as an advisor and event coordinator. Outside of AISS, she is also a Wellness Coordinator at the Hydration Room and a dance instructor at CSULB.
Julissa Mendoza
AISS Fund Development Associate, Businness Administration​
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​Julissa Mendoza, is currently a student at CSU Fullerton studying Business Administration. Julissa is hoping to concentrate in General Management. Julissa loves dancing, listening to music and reading. Julissa is part of the AISS team as an advisor and Fund Development Associate.
Nicole Pacheco
​Nicole Pacheco is a Computer Science student at Chapman University, where she just completed her first year. As a second-year advisor for the Association of Interdisciplinary Studies Students (AISS), she assists the Class of 2025 with college readiness and works as a digital media intern, creating our monthly newsletters. Nicole also helps seniors by developing and executing educational plans to prepare them for college. Nicole is excited to apply her skills and enthusiasm to both her studies and her role in guiding fellow students.
Board
Nicholas Richards,
BA California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
Board Chair
COO/CFO, Intellivision Entertainment
Joined the Board, 2021
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Nick brings over twenty-five years of entrepreneurial-driven innovation and execution leadership. As a co-founder of Intellivision, his passion for the video game company's focus on family and multi-generational group dynamics brings people together independent of prior gaming experience. He promotes the $347 billion video game industry as a career path for a broad array of interests including STEM and the arts. The OCTANe Non-Profit Accelerator Program referred Nick to AISS as a prospective board member due to his successes in managing growth strategies for companies ranging from start-ups to large international businesses. He joined AISS at the ideal time to guide board development through the transition from Founding to Governing/Managing to Fundraising Stages and the challenges of the COVID pandemic.
Jacqueline Rojas, PhD
Vice-Chair
STEM and Science Education Consultant and Evaluator
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Dr. Rojas is a retired educator with extensive expertise and experience in teaching and learning science from Pre-K through doctoral levels. As a Board Member of the ARCS Foundation, she arranges for Achievement Institute Scholars to attend STEM research presentations by ARCS Scholars, Ph.D. Candidates at UCI. She is also serving as the Writing Instructor and supporting scholars as they complete their college application essays. A Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, Dr. Rojas speaks Spanish fluently and enjoys engaging the parents of Achievement Institute Scholars.
Nidia Garcia, BA, LSSGB, TPC
Secretary
Senior Technical Writer, Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
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Nidia develops instructions for use and implant instructions for Spinal Cord and Deep Brain Stimulation Systems. Nidia graduated from CSU Long Beach with a BA in English Rhetoric & Composition. She earned a Six Sigma Green Belt certification and a Technical and Professional Communication Certificate. She has been volunteering with AISS since 2014. Education has been a gift of opportunity and a passion for Nidia since she could remember. She values and supports the AISS mission of giving students from an economically disadvantaged community, a background similar to her own, a greater opportunity to succeed by helping them make educated choices for their future.
Irene Celeste Lee, BSBME
Board Member & AISS Alumna '13
Medical Device Engineer, Medtronic
Irene graduated with a 4.6 GPA from Segerstrom High School and the AISS Program in 2013. She earned a Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Biomedical Engineering from the University of California Irvine in 2017. She served as the AISS Writing Instructor for several years and created a special COVID 19 Emergency Response Team project for Spring Semester 2020. Irene is now an Achievement Institute Board Member who says, “I was first introduced to Biomedical Engineering in a couple of study trips organized by AISS. During my first summer of the program, we went to biotech companies like Edwards Lifesciences and Medtronic in Irvine. We toured the manufacturing floor, office spaces, and had a chance to meet different engineering teams. At the time, it was small steps towards a dream that the Achievement Institute was helping me achieve. While at UCI, I made long-lasting relationships and utilized soft skills that I had learned through the Achievement Institute.”
John Houten, BS, Bentley University
Board Member
Retired Executive Vice President and Real Estate Lending Manager, Sunwest Bank
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John brings more than 30 years of real estate finance experience to Sunwest Bank. He spent 15 years as Past President and Board Member of a similar nonprofit organization to AISS Foundation – the Boys and Girls Club of the Harbor Area, where he raised as much as $150,000 annually to bolster the budget. John’s involvement with the AISS Scholars includes judging their Social Enterprise Pitches, arranging a field trip to Sunwest Bank, and purchasing branded backpacks and jackets. He hosted the AISS Board EOY Meeting and Holiday Luncheon and identified the need for a Governance Committee to include a succession plan and will be guiding its development.
Frank A. Gomez, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
Board Member
Executive Director, STEM-NET
University of California, Los Angeles
Joined the Board, 2024
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Dr. Gomez is the Executive Director of STEM-NET, a multicampus consortium, based at
the California State University (CSU) Office of the Chancellor where he leads STEM
initiatives for the 23-campus system. Prior to this position he was Professor of
Chemistry at Cal State LA for over 20 years. He received his BS and PhD in Chemistry
from Cal State LA and UCLA, respectively and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard
University. As Executive Director, he has been a part of collaborative grants securing
over $53MM in funding in STEM and education-related fields. Some of his current work
focuses on STEM for social good, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,
climate change, equity in STEM, and workforce development. His own research
involves developing microfluidic point-of-care (POC) diagnostic devices, fuel cells, and
batteries. He has mentored over 140 students and postdocs, the majority from
underrepresented groups, and has over 130 publications and two books. He previously
served on the Montebello Unified School District (MUSD) Board of Education, the
Montebello City Council and Mayor. He is a long-time supporter of organizations with a
similar mission as AISS.
Ambassadors & Advisors
Karla Ramirez, BSME
Marketing Chair & AISS Alumna '09
CO-Founder, Tera Engineering
Karla Perez graduated from Century High School and the AISS Program in 2009. After earning three AA degrees from Santa Ana College, she obtained a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from California State University Long Beach in 2015. While completing her education, she served as the AISS Program Math Instructor. Karla married engineer Sean Ramirez and they became entrepreneurs, co-founding their own company Tera Engineering. Karla serves as the Vice President of Operations with 30 employees in the city of Santa Ana. She now serves as an Achievement Institute Board Member and the Marketing Chair. She is a generous donor and offers factory tours and internships to our scholars.
Lisette Martinez-Acebo, MSW
Secretary/Communications & AISS Alumna '11
Program Director Children & Youth Engagement (CYE) Latino Health Access
Lisette graduated from Saddleback High School and the AISS Program in 2011. As a first-generation college student, she obtained a Bachelor’s in Psychology at Chapman University, with minors in Sociology and Latin American Studies. After achieving a Master’s in Social Work from USC, Lisette joined Chapman University as a Student Affairs Case Manager through the Dean of Students office. While facilitating a partnership between Chapman and AISS, Lisette worked as an AISS Writing Instructor and coordinated our Alumni Association. Lisette now works as a Family and Community Engagement Specialist for the Santa Ana Unified School District, where she supports many of the students who participate in our program.
Edgar Sanchez, PhD
Member & AISS Alumna '03
Previous Acting COO for Celltrion USA Inc / Team Leader for Celltrion Inc USA Business Team
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Edgar graduated from Santa Ana High School in 2003, and he was in the first ever AISS cohort He pursued a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering at UC Davis (Class of 2007), and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Biological Engineering at MIT (Class of 2015) focusing his research on developing biological tools to improve future studies of non-small cell lung carcinoma and breast cancer to help discover new potential therapeutic targets. In Cambridge, Edgar met his wife, and they moved to South Korea, where he worked for a pharmaceutical company that specializes in developing cancer therapeutics, and was tasked to bring these products to the U.S. patient population. Recently returning to the US, Edgar joined the board at AISS and was the keynote speaker at BTG10.
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Carmen Chavez
Carmen graduated with an Associate degree in Communications at Orange Coast College. She Graduated with 8 different honor societies and transferred to Chapman University with Scholarships. Today she is studying to get her BA in Strategic Corporate Communications at Chapman University and a minor in Leadership.
Danielle C. Lara
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a Leadership Coach and Team Development Consultant helping individuals and organizations recognize and leverage their strengths, in order to be better leaders and build more cohesive, collaborative work cultures. Serves as an Ambassador for AISS.
Luis Mier
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The Creator of OC Biz and Cohost of FTP
For the People. He served our board for two years and now serves as an Ambassador for AISS.
Cynthia Ong
Cynthia is a Research Scientist at Edwards Lifesciences. She facilitates their HOLA Program.
Judy Greenspon
For 20 years, Judy has served as President and founder of NPI Services- an electronics manufacturing services company in Costa Mesa. Judy serves as an AISS Ambassador.
Dr. Luis Ortiz-Franco
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Dr. Ortiz-Franco has also taught at Orange Coast College. He has served the Achievement Institute for nearly 10 years, including as Math Instructor, Formal board committee participant, and Chair.
Carlos Muniz
Carlos is the Vice President for the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Active in the community always willing to help out our youth. Carlos Muniz serves on AISS' Advisory Board.
Nino Polizzi
Nino is an AISS program facilitator and volunteer on the AISS Advisory Committee. He is a part of Rocket Science Tutors and teaches a Science and Engineering class during the scholars' summer program.
Dr. Ron Raya
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With years of experience in education and unified school districts across Orange County, Dr. Raya serves as an Ambassador for AISS.
Gloria Strayer
Gloria Strayer is President at Design & Print Resources. Gloria serves as an AISS Ambassador and sponsors one of our alumni, as they continue their college degrees.
Michael Stanislawczyk
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Cerebrum Consulting a leader in Information Services, Technology, and Education. Serves as an Ambassador for AISS and volunteers as an Instructor.
Taylor Thompson
Taylor is the Financial Advisor at Thompson/Katzaroff Financial Group. Now serves as an ambassador for AISS.