Meet Our Team
The UCR College Corps team aims to support the success of the Fellows in our program. Our team collaborates with on-campus organizations and local off-campus non-profit organizations to ensure that Fellows are offered meaningful opportunities to make a difference in our community. Through their year of service, Fellows will grow in their ability to bridge divides, solve problems, and build more equitable communities.
Jessica Saldivar, Director
Jessica is a life-long scholar as she received her Bachelors degree in Neuroscience with an emphasis in Psychology at UC Riverside, Masters in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Florida, and is currently working on her Masters in Business Administration from UC Riverside. Her passion for education and service began in high school and throughout her educational career. She also served 2 years in UECC AmeriCorps at UCR. Jessica also happens to be a lover of the arts and exploring new hobbies. To this day, she is also a Polynesian dancer, hiker, and avid traveler.
Email: jessicamarie.saldivar@ucr.edu
Phone: (951) 827-1508
Sharamae Brown, Assistant Director of Education
Sharamae is a proud UCR alumna, having received both her Bachelor’s degree in English and Master’s degree in Education from UCR. Sharamae started her career in teaching but quickly switched to investing in the realm of student services after witnessing the need for more specialized support for underserved students. She assisted UECC AmeriCorps at UC Riverside in providing professional development to tutors, and worked for a non-profit organization to design and implement robotics and music curriculum for elementary school students. Sharamae has worked with all grade levels from K - 12 through teaching, tutoring, and enrichment programs, and is currently enjoying her work in the university setting. Outside of teaching others, Sharamae is working on teaching herself Tagalog, one of her mother’s native languages, and relearning how to play the piano.
Email: sharamae.brown@ucr.edu
Phone: (951) 827-6228
Jessica Estrada, Assistant Director of Education
Jessica Estrada is a current graduate student at Princeton Seminary in the Master of Theology, Justice, and Public Life program. She is set to graduate in May of 2025. Additionally, she holds a Master of Business Management (M.B.M.) with an emphasis in Organizational Science from Azusa Pacific University (19’) and a Bachelor of Art in Business Management from Vanguard University (’08). Jessica has worked in higher education for over 16 years and she desires to serve students and the community through the work she does within higher education. Last year, Jessica was one of only 100 digital creators selected for the NASA Artemis I Social program which granted her the opportunity to see the Artemis I rocket and partner with NASA’s social media team to provide media coverage. Jessica firmly believes that representation matters, thus, she immerses herself where she can gain opportunities as a minority woman in hopes of inspiring others along the way. In her spare time, Jessica creates lo-fi music and loves to spend time in nature and with family.
Email: jessica.estrada@ucr.edu
Phone: (951) 827-2510
Reyna Rodarte, Assistant Director of Climate Action
Reyna is a passionate student affairs professional that has experience working in K-12 Education and Higher Education. She received her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of California, Riverside and later obtained her master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs from the University of Redlands. She has experience helping, mentoring, and advising students from first-generation and underserved backgrounds with their academic and career goals to support student success as well as holistic intellectual and personal growth. She is passionate about student success, equity, lifelong learning, and social justice. Reyna aspires to empower students from historically underrepresented backgrounds to achieve their goals. Outside of work, Reyna enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, and cooking
Email: reyna.rodarte@ucr.edu
Phone: (951) 827-2514
Sonia Garcia Avelar, Assistant Director of Food Insecurity
Sonia is a scholar-practitioner with more than 6 years of experience. She is an alumna of the University of California system, receiving her bachelor’s degree in political science (Public Law) and Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego and most recently her master’s degree in Higher Education Administration and Policy from UC Riverside. Sonia’s passion for Student Affairs and academia is a personal endeavor and she hopes to serve as a vessel to uplift and empower students and communities from first-generation and underserved populations to ensure equitable success and matriculation within 4-year institutions. Sonia’s praxis and professional objectives are to promote educational policy that is grounded in servingness and equity for all scholars. Outside of her work in higher education, Sonia is a coffee connoisseur and enjoys nature walks and painting.
Email: sonia.garcia@ucr.edu
Phone: (951) 827-5305
Destinee Taylor, Fellow Engagement Specialist
Destinee is a recent graduate of CSU Fullerton, where she obtained her masters in higher education, after obtaining a bachelors in literature and writing studies at CSU San Marcos. Destinee's interest in higher education/student affairs stems from two things: the desire to see more minoritized and first-generation students from low-income backgrounds and underserved populations achieve success and enjoy better qualities of life, and the belief that education is a gateway to freedom and success. She plans to pursue future career opportunities in college student services as well as community wellness relations. Outside of professional goals, Destinee's personal interests are traveling, reading, watching action movies, and listening to music.
Email: destinee.taylor@ucr.edu
Phone: (951) 827-7286