Cohort Onboarding Pipeline for Advisors (COPA)
The goal of the cohort hire program is to centralize recruitment, training, and onboarding efforts of advisors (SSPs) to help fill vacancies over the next two academic years. Onboarded advisors will be in a learning community to learn university policies and procedures, case management techniques, and assigned between various advising offices to gain a panoramic understanding of advising at East Bay. COPA learning communities are designed to provide intensive training before advisors are matched and assigned to a specific department.
Academic Advisor Trainee, AACE
Shea Ashford is a ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ Alumnus who always had a passion for being an Advisor. Her goal is to help students get the proper help and guidance within their academic career the way she was able to get the same as an undergraduate and while she was in her Masters program.
Academic Advisor Trainee, College of Business and Economics
Justin was selected to join the first COPA cohort in Summer 2022. He is a recent BA graduate in Psychology, Spring 2021. Earlier he was at Las Positas for about 3 years before transferring to ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ. He had joined the Puente Project at Las Positas College, where he developed a background in mentoring and guiding first year college students. Joining Puente, he felt more engaged in College and felt like a part of the community. He felt a strong interest in Psychology and from what he was learning in the classroom, he was able to share and pass the knowledge to his students who were part of Puente. Without the support from Puente and his advisor, he wouldn’t have considered a career in higher education.
Academic Advisor Trainee, College of Science
Morgan has been at ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ since 2021 starting as an Office Manager for the Math Department and has transitioned into an advising role for the College of Science. She obtained her masters in counseling with a specialization in higher education and student affairs from Saint Mary's college in 2020.
COPA Lead / Student Success Specialist
Bill Irwin joined ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ in the spring of 2016 as the Athletic Academic Advisor after stops at Utah State, West Point, Columbia University, Western New England University and Springfield College. His primary role was academic and eligibility advising for the Student Athletes and was part of the first Freshman and Sophomore Support Team (FASST) at East Bay. He has switched roles at ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ and is now the Student Success Specialist working with advisors across campus and the app admin for EAB’s Navigate platform.
LD Larkins started his academic career as a First-time Freshman here at ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ in 2012. He did his undergrad with a BS in Criminal Justice and Minor in Sociology. LD was an EOP student and EOP Peer Mentor while also working in the Office of Prospective Student Services mailroom as a student. After two years as the University Operator, LD moved on and became the Office Manager for the Communication and Human Development departments. He is now an Academic Advisor Trainee for the SEAS department and is loving every bit of it.
Academic Advisor trainee, CLASS
Janae has been working here at East Bay since August of this year and also graduated from ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ with a degree in Human Development in 2018. Since then she has moved ahead to achieve her MFA in English and Creative Writing and teach English Part Time at Holy Names University.
Academic Advisor Trainee, SEAS
Jocelin graduated from UC Santa Cruz as a first generation transfer student in 2019 with her B.A. in Sociology and is currently obtaining her M.A. in Educational Counseling. She hopes to grow within ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ advocating for historically marginalized groups through a holistic approach to advising.
Academic Engagement Coach, EXCEL
John is an Academic Engagement Coach working with EXCEL, a program that supports low-income, first generation and/or students with disabilities. He is an alumni of the university who graduated back in spring 2021 with a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a focus on General Management. As an Academic Engagement Coach, he supports the program by providing engagement opportunities for the program's students as well as supporting them as a resource guide
Academic Advisor Trainee, CEAS
Rayna works in the College of Education and Allied Studies with the Kinesiology and Hospitality, Recreation and Tourism departments. She is an Oakland native who is passionate about supporting student success, and strengthening communities through education.
Academic Advising Trainee in Athletics
Briauna has been working at Cal State East Bay since August 2021 in different departments on campus, including human resources and payroll. The most recent position was as a Senior Record Specialist in the Office of the Registrar. She is a San Francisco State University alumna with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology in 2014. Since then, she has received a Master of Science in Sport Management in 2018 from Georgia Southern University, and will complete a Masters of Education in Higher Education in Student Affairs May of 2023. She is dedicated to helping students with their educational goals as well as their student development.
COPA Lead / Student Success Specialist
Bill Irwin joined ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ in the spring of 2016 as the Athletic Academic Advisor after stops at Utah State, West Point, Columbia University, Western New England University and Springfield College. His primary role was academic and eligibility advising for the Student Athletes and was part of the first Freshman and Sophomore Support Team (FASST) at East Bay. He has switched roles at ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ and is now the Student Success Specialist working with advisors across campus and the app admin for EAB’s Navigate platform.
Academic Advisor Trainee, College of Business and Economics
Fatima was welcomed into CSU East Bay in Spring 2023 as part of the COPA program. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2020 with a B.A. in Ethnic Studies and a minor in Linguistics. During her time at UCSC, she worked at the Career Center on campus and fell in love with advising. She is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Library and Information Science at San José State University, with intention of expanding her information-sharing skills to become a better resource for students. At ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ, she strives to bridge the gap between students and the institution using a holistic approach to advising grounded in compassion, thoughtfulness, and reflection.
Academic Advisor Trainee, AACE
Kailey Jo (KJ) is a first-generation American and a first-generation college graduate. Her college journey was anything but straightforward, but thanks to the support she received from mentors, advisors, and campus resources, she successfully earned her B.A. in Psychology from Stanislaus State in Spring 2019. Inspired by her faculty advisor, she pursued a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology at UC Santa Cruz. However, the drastic shift in higher education that arose out of the pandemic forced KJ to re-evaluate her career goals. With a fierce desire to serve students just as her mentors served her, she threw everything she had into finding an open door. Now, she's here in COPA 2 and on track to becoming a full-fledged advisor who can help students along their own paths in life.
Academic Advisor Trainee, CLASS
Erin Quineri is a first-gen Filipina American and ÂÌñ»»ÆÞ alumna who graduated in Spring '22 with her degree in Business Administration: HR & Organizational Behavior and a minor in Asian American Studies. As an undergraduate, she was heavily involved on campus, taking on various roles within Student Life & Leadership Programs as part of the Orientation Team, as well as serving as the ASI Senator of Commuter Students in the 2021-22 academic year. Her experience in student affairs showed her the importance of representation, equity, & student-centered practices in higher education. In this role and beyond, she hopes to continue serving diverse student communities and provide students with the information & tools they need to be successful, both in and out of the classroom.
