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Member Bios

  • Karisa Avalos, a Los Angeles native, earned her B.A. in Liberal Studies with a minor in Spanish from Loyola Marymount University, an M.A. in Child and Adolescent Literacy through PLACE Corps (LMU), and an M.A. in Educational Leadership from the University of Notre Dame. She has served Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as a classroom teacher, curriculum coordinator, principal, and Academic Excellence Specialist. Her professional contributions include supporting the development of a core instructional practices framework, the Onward Readers literacy initiative, and the design of curriculum and professional development for Transitional Kindergarten standards. As an Academic Excellence Specialist at the Department of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Karisa partners with several archdiocesan schools to advance instructional excellence and student learning outcomes within the Solidarity Schools Initiative. Grateful for each of these experiences, she is excited to further support school communities in her new role as Co-chair of LMU’s School of Education Alumni Association Board.

  • Dr. Korey Hlaudy (he/him) is an Educational Services Consultant for CORE Learning and an Assistant Principal at The Accelerated Schools, the first charter network in Historic South Central Los Angeles. He is passionate about building equitable, inclusive learning environments that foster students’ mathematical thinking, problem-solving, and self-regulation, drawing on his experience teaching mathematics across grades 5-12 in project-based and interdisciplinary programs at Da Vinci Connect and Da Vinci Design. At The Accelerated Schools, he also served as a Secondary Instructional Coach, leading strategic planning, coaching, and implementation for math and science teams across the network. Korey holds degrees from UC Davis (B.A., Economics) and Loyola Marymount University (M.A., Urban Education, Policy & Administration; Ed.D., Educational Leadership for Social Justice), where he also co-chairs the School of Education Alumni Association Board and serves on the LMU SOE Dean’s Board of Visitors Innovation & Leadership Council.

  • Dr. Allegra Johnson (she/her) is the CEO and Founder of Uniquely Supported, an educational consulting practice that supports schools with scaling inclusive practices for students with IEPs. Uniquely Supported’s mission is to reimagine all classrooms as learning spaces where the rightful presence of all kinds of learners is affirmed and celebrated as undeniably necessary and valuable. Dr. Johnson is a former special education teacher, former Director of Special Education, and former Executive Director of Educational Services. She also serves as part-time faculty for Alder Graduate School of Education. Dr. Johnson is a first-generation college graduate and the first in her family to earn a terminal degree.  She is the proud mother of two kids, an avid gardener, and an emerging yogi. She is elated to serve as the Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee on the Alumni Board.



  • Dr. Deonna Smith (she/her) is the Founder and CEO of Deonna Smith Consulting. This education consulting practice partners with schools and districts to create joyful, culturally responsive learning environments where every student and educator can thrive. Deonna Smith Consulting’s mission is to reimagine schools as places of belonging where excellence, equity, joy, and community are central to teaching and learning. Before earning her Ed.D at LMU, Deonna spent over a decade in middle and elementary schools throughout California, proudly holding the roles of classroom teacher and school leader. Now, Deonna is a part-time professor at Alder Graduate School, an author, and an advocate of educational justice. Deonna’s research and study of asset pedagogies and her work inside the school building are harmonized in her book, Rooted in Joy. Rooted in Joy seeks to equip educators with the frameworks and practices to lead transformative educational spaces rooted in equity, belonging, and care. When Deonna isn’t freedom dreaming a better future for education, you can find her tending to her many plants, listening to Beyonce, or dilly dallying around Los Angeles.

  • Dr. Sheeba Jacob is the Director of Middle School Design at Citizens of the World Charter Schools. She began her education career as a Teach For America corps member in Washington, D.C. Over the last two decades, she has had a range of experiences both domestically and internationally as a teacher, school leader, coach, consultant, and curriculum developer. She is committed to young people's social-emotional health and humanizing middle school spaces. Sheeba graduated from Macalester College with a B.A. in International Relations. She received her M.Ed. in Language and Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education and her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from Loyola Marymount University. She loves spending time with family and friends, along with reading great novels. She is excited to chair the Mission and Action committee and join the SOEAA Board.

  • Dr. Cuauhtemoc Salinas Martell (he/him/they) earned a B.A. in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.S.W. in Social Work from the University of Michigan. In May 2024, he became the first in his family, and the first undocumented student, to earn a doctorate in education from Loyola Marymount University. Dr. Salinas’s activism, nonprofit leadership, and personal mission focus on empowering Latinx, undocumented/DACAmented, LGBTQ+, and first-generation communities to pursue higher education. He is excited to serve as the Communications Chair for the SOEAA Alumni Board.

  • Cheráe Roberson (Stovall), M.A., LPCC is a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and founder of The Serenity Brand, a mental health practice and consulting firm rooted in community wellness and integrative care. Her career spans education equity and mental health. She has had roles as a City Year Corps member, educator, TRiO Upward Bound academic advisor, drop-out prevention counselor, and now education coordinator for LAUSD’s homeless education program. She also served five years as a professor in LMU’s School of Education Counseling Program. Cheráe is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a board member of The Victoria Project, and is honored to serve as Membership Chair for the 2025–2026 year.

  • Alyssa Ascencio M.A. '22, is a first-generation college graduate and Los Angeles native who earned her Masters of Arts in Higher Education Administration from LMU's School of Education. She is part of the inaugural Young Adult Programming Advisory Council at Our Odyssey, a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting young adults impacted by a rare or chronic condition with social and emotional support to improve their quality of life. Alyssa’s professional passion is rooted in helping minority communities, working with diverse populations, and mitigating the factors behind their inter-sectional struggles. She strives to act as a change agent for marginalized students in higher education and bring equitable access to every student, giving talks to faculty and students on bringing about accessible inclusion to all. She enjoys spending time with her bird (Sky), horticulture, and video games in her free time.

  • Jordan Baldry, M.A. ’21, is a graduate of LMU School of Education’s Urban Education program, focusing on Education Policy and Administration. He works as a first-grade instructor at Horace Mann Elementary School and as a curriculum developer for the Los Angeles Unified School District's Intern Credentialing Program. Jordan is passionate about literacy as a tool for liberation. He enjoys traveling, cooking, and outdoor activities in his free time.

  • Armando Carvalho, Ed.D. is the Teacher Librarian at John Adams Middle School in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Originally from San Diego, Armando earned his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University in Washington, DC. His first experience at LMU was with the Partners in Los Angeles Catholic Education (PLACE) Corps program, where he earned a Master of Arts in Secondary Education. Later, he returned to LMU to earn a Master of Arts in Catholic School Administration, a Technology Integration Specialist Certification, and a Doctorate in Education Leadership for Social Justice. He also holds a California Single Subject Teaching Credential with authorizations in English Language Development, English, Social Science, and Physical Education, as well as a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Armando has also served as a teacher, department chair, and principal in Catholic and public schools. Armando is working on his Master of Library and Information Science degree at San José State University and his Computer Science teaching credential at the University of California, Los Angeles.

  • Kristen Crowe has 20 years of experience in TK-16 education and serves as the Chief Community Officer at Scholarship Prep. She earned both her undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies and her graduate degree in School Counseling from Loyola Marymount University (LMU), where she also began her career working in Financial Aid and Admissions. In her current role, Kristen is responsible for building and sustaining community partnerships and was the visionary founder of Scholarship Prep’s counseling programs, designed to break cycles of instability and create lasting support systems for the school’s most vulnerable youth, including students experiencing homelessness and those in the foster care system. The programs she has developed to support students experiencing homelessness have been recognized by the California Department of Education, Federal Department of Education, and the Department of Justice.

     

  • Erika Preciado is an Angeleno who works simultaneously as a Behavior Intervention Developer (school-based cases) for an ABA agency in the San Fernando Valley and a statewide ABA agency as a Clinical Case Manager (in-home cases) in Los Angeles. Erika began her ABA career in 2018 in San Diego. While in San Diego, Erika served as an Alumni Ambassador for LMU from 2017 to 2019 and volunteered at the annual alumni BBQ every September. An alumnus from the School of Education in 2004 with a M.A. in School Counseling, Erika is a mother and Cane Corso dog owner who enjoys reading, walking, and training her dogs. She also enjoys driving to the beaches of North County, San Diego. She is an active parent volunteer at her children’s school within LAUSD. 

  • Carmen Towler, M.A. ‘17 earned her Master of Arts in Guidance and Counseling from Loyola Marymount University. She began her career in education by serving first-generation college students at a community college and private and public universities in California. Carmen is now a dedicated Young Adult Workforce Programs Manager at San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development, where she plays a key role in advancing economic prosperity for vulnerable communities. A proud native of West Los Angeles, Carmen is deeply committed to racial equity and lifelong learning. With a passion for helping others access jobs, education, and essential resources, she works tirelessly to support the communities she serves.

  • Veronica Yepiz is an RSP Teacher for Equitas Academy Charter School #5. She earned her undergraduate degree in Liberal Studies and her graduate degree in Educational Studies from Loyola Marymount University. Most recently, she received a Dyslexia Certificate in Assessment and Intervention from the University of Florida. This certificate inspired her to pursue her Mild to Moderate Support Needs Education Specialist Credential. She is committed to inspiring a love of reading amongst her students, empowering students to be proud of their culture aned background, and creating an inclusive and equitable learning environment for all students.

  • Lisa Yoon, Ed.D is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Solum Foundation, a learning and systems design initiative reimagining societal inclusion for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Lisa earned her Ed.D. in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from Loyola Marymount University, an M.A.T. in Special Education from Rhode Island College, and a B.A. in Intercultural Communication from Pepperdine University. She is certified in conflict management through Pepperdine’s Straus Institute. A longtime advocate for disaggregated data and design, she co-authored the first national AAPI Equity Audit of PK-12 public education and regularly advises schools and nonprofits on inclusive policy and practice. Her work lives at the intersection of data, dignity, and systems design–grounded in the belief that we rise by lifting one another.

  • Mary K. McCullough, Ph.D., has broad experience in leadership across all education sectors and currently serves as Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Administration, as Chair of the Department of Specialized Programs in Professional Psychology, and Chair of the Department of Teaching and Learning in the Loyola Marymount University School of Education. As an expert in educational leadership, Dr. McCullough held several additional leadership positions in higher education, including Interim Dean, Associate Dean, Department Chair, Inaugural Director of the Doctoral Program, Director of the Administration Program and the Catholic School Leadership Academy, and Faculty Senate President. Before coming to LMU, Dr. McCullough had a distinguished career as a high school principal, assistant principal, and teacher in both public and Catholic schools. Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in English from Mount St. Mary’s University, a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership from the University of San Francisco, and a Ph.D. in Policy, Planning, and Administration from the University of Southern California. Dr. McCullough serves the SOE Alumni Association Board as an ex officio member and enthusiastic supporter.