The Hub Basic Needs Center

Alicia Magallanes (she/her)

San Diego State University, School of Social Work, BSW & MSW

As Director of the Hub Basic Needs Center, Alicia oversees and provides supportive services to increase accessibility of basic needs resources for students at UC San Diego. She has worked alongside resilient communities in south Los Angeles as a street outreach worker, was a Farmers Market Recovery Glean Lead with Food Forward at the Hollywood Farmers Market, and conducted her graduate studies field practicum with Feeding San Diego locally. (she/her)

She aspires to cultivate a basic needs secure campus environment and shift dialogue around the topic of basic needs to reflect the resilience as well as innovation of our amazing undergraduate and graduate student communities.

Kameo Quenga (she/her)

University of San Francisco, Higher Education & Student Affairs, M.A.

 As Assistant Director of the Hub Basic Needs Center, Kameo oversees internal operations of Hub services and aims to center both professional and student staff wellness. She aims to utilize data and assessment to right-size how our services can continue to support the ever-changing needs of our student populations. She serves as the liaison between Basic Needs and Case Management Services, with goals to maximize both on and off campus partnerships as it relates to tackling basic needs challenges through a collaborative and justice-oriented lens.

Kameo brings lived experiences from both the Bay Area & South Sacramento which allows her to recognize that alleviating basic needs challenges for our students cannot be done alone. Basic Needs are retention efforts.

Sarah Feteih (she/her)

San Diego State University, School of Social Work, MSW.

As the Food Security Programs Coordinator, Sarah manages the diverse portfolio of food security programs on campus, including the CalFresh Outreach Team and Food Recovery Network. She serves as a liaison between the Basic Needs Center and Triton Food Pantry, as well as other on- and off-campus partners for food security services. She has been actively involved in food security work across San Diego for the last 4 years, previously supporting the SDSU Economic Crisis Response Team and managing the Wasted Food Prevention Program at the San Diego Food System Alliance. 

Sarah is passionate about cultivating student leaders in her role and committed to helping students thrive in and out of the classroom. Most of all, she is a proud UCSD alumni and is excited to bring her experience to support students and food security programming on campus. 

Marissa Islas (she/her)

The University of California, San Diego, B.A. in Global Health, Psychology Minor

Senuri Boralessa (she/they)

B.S. in Human Biology 2016/M.A. in Global Health 2021

As the Basic Needs Program Assistant, Senuri provides interim program development, such as 1:1 consultations with graduate students. In addition, Senuri gives administrative support to the student staff team and is inspired to create new partnerships with health-related centers on campus.

Before this role, Senuri was a Triton Food Pantry intern, Lead Basic Needs Assistant, and founded the UCSD Basic Needs Peer Educator Program. As a Student Observer for the UC Regents Special Committee on Basic Needs, she advocated for increased funding and programmatic efforts for our diverse student population at the systemwide level. Afterward, she completed her Master’s in Global Health at UCSD and worked as a Medical Assistant to learn best clinical practices for communities of color.

Senuri is motivated to use her background in Human Biology and Global Health to practice a holistic model of health to support students. Health goes beyond the human body, encapsulating mental health, social network, structural challenges, and spirituality. These fields are acknowledged and uplifted in every community she serves.

Aliyah Annis (she/they)

3rd year Political Science Major

As a Basic Needs Assistant, Aliyah hopes to provide compassionate and empowering support to students facing any type of Basic Needs insecurities.

Following graduation, Aliyah aspires to attend law school to become an attorney and encourage others toward activist lawyering in order to implement change at a higher level.

Ariana Lopez (she/her)

3rd year Chemical Engineering Major

As a Basic Needs Student Assistant, Ariana Lopez strives to help students fulfill their needs in order to succeed and achieve. Her passion about the many resources available to students allows her to spread awareness about basic needs.

After she graduates, she hopes to put her degree to use in the food industry to assist researchers in designing and developing edible products, making them healthier and accessible to all.

Chiemena Nnorom (she/her)

3rd year Global Health Major

As a Basic Needs Assistant, Chiemena Nnorom wants to continue spreading the word about not only the 3 foundational services the Basic Needs Center provides— housing resources, food security, and financial assistance— but also about our volunteer programs and collaborations with other clubs on campus.

Her aspirations in life include starting my career in the pharmaceutical field and going overseas to make medication more accessible for low-income communities.

Amber-Jade Hallare (she/her)

Public Health Major

As a Basic Needs Assistant, Amber-Jade seeks to make college a more equitable experience by connecting students with resources that will help them to thrive both mentally and physically. Basic needs are basic rights! So she is eager to lend a helping hand to anyone struggling to access them. After graduating, she plans to go into nursing and utilize her public health background to advocate for upstream healthcare.

Giselle Aguilar (she/her)

4th year Public Health Major, Studio Art Minor 

As a CalFresh Outreach Assistant, Giselle strives to help guide students to learn and apply for not only food assistance but also other resources that are available to them through the HUB. Every student has a right towards having food security, housing security, and financial assistance. However, no student should stress about basic needs, and that is why she aims to destigmatize the culture of asking for support through her work with the CalFresh Program.

After graduation, she would like to pursue a master’s in public health to further her research on closing the gap of health inequalities. More specifically, she is passionate about fighting social and economic barriers in the medical field.

Stefanie Alarcon (she/her)

3rd year Human Biology Major

As a CalFresh Outreach Assistant, Stefanie loves being able to help college students fight food insecurity and inform people on many of the helpful resources that the HUB has to offer!

 Mia Jerphagnon (she/her) 

2nd year Business Economics Major and Data Science Minor

Julia Coy (she/her)

4th Year International Studies-Economics Major

As a CalFresh Outreach Assistant, Julia hopes to assist many students access CalFresh benefits. Julia believes that all students should receive the support they need to reach their academic and professional goals. She understands how significant CalFresh benefits can be in the lives of students on and off-campus and wants to encourage all students who qualify for the program to apply. After graduation, Julia aims to dedicate her time to humanitarian aid and international community development.

Hannah Budroe (she/her)

4th year, General Biology & History [Concentration History of Science] double major / Global Health Minor

As a CalFresh Outreach Assistant, Hannah hopes to reduce stigma and increase public awareness of food security programs so that everyone who needs help is able to easily access it. Building on her previous work with the food pantry, she wishes to help people access culturally reflective and healthy food that makes them feel better about themselves. After she graduates, Hannah plans to pursue graduate school and work as a marine biologist, researching the impact that climate change is having on marine organisms and ecosystems, and finding solutions to this pressing issue facing our planet.

Caytre Ede (she/her)

3rd year Human Biology Major

As the Triton Food Pantry Pop-Up/Accessibility Manager, Caytre Ede strives to bring the services of the food pantry to UCSD students both on and off campus through collaboration with different resources, such as DoorDash and 211 San Diego. She hopes to bring awareness to the spectrum of food insecurities while expanding the pantry’s outreach efforts using a student-focused perspective.

Cynthia Platt (they/them)

4th year Developmental Psychology Major

As the General Operations Manager for the Triton Food Pantry, Cynthia Platt aims to utilize their own experiences with food insecurity to create an understanding and empathetic space for students. They recognize and want to change how ostracizing food insecurity can be for those attending prestigious universities.

Doris Huang (she/her)

Business Psychology Major & Education Minor

The reason why Doris is working as a Pantry manager is simply because they believe that Basic Needs are the cornerstone for students to realize their dreams. Doris wishes that their help and dedication in this job will support them in achieving their individual educational/ life success. Serving has become an indispensable part of their life. They deeply care about education as they are eager to make changes fighting for any unbalanced policies within the education system. The best way to have an impact is to equip themself with more professional knowledge. And this is why they are planning to pursue a Master degree in higher education after graduation. In their spare time, Doris co-leads a dance team on campus and calls dancing their personal therapy session. :)

Juliana Tran (she/her)

3rd year Neurobiology Major and Music Minor

As the Volunteer Manager for the Triton Food Pantry, Juliana Tran hopes to combat food insecurity by providing a warm and welcoming space for all students to access groceries on campus. She is also passionate about community involvement, believing that group efforts can ultimately make an impactful change to one's community. After she graduates, Juliana hopes to work in the medical field to help serve disadvantaged communities. She believes equitable access to basic needs, especially through healthcare, is an important part of one's long-term happiness and wellbeing.

Evelyn Hsieh (she/her)

4th year Cognitive & Behavioral Neuroscience Major, General Biology Minor

As the General Operations Manager for the Triton Food Pantry, Evelyn intends to relieve the burden of food insecurity and food costs amongst the student population. From posting operation hours at the pantry doors to behind the scenes administration, she hopes that students utilize the pantry for free access to healthy fruits, vegetables, and shelf stable items. She has been a pantry user since her freshman year, became a volunteer, and is now working with the very team she appreciates so much! Upon graduating, Evelyn aspires to work in the healthcare field.

Nathan Gomez (he/him)

2nd year Urban Studies and Planning Major

Through his previous work to combat food insecurity, Nathan hopes to provide an option for those in need, promote useful resources to his community, help reduce food waste, and advocate for the accessibility of Basic Needs. He is focused on helping his fellow Tritons with his position here at the Pantry.

Antara Bhatt (she/her)

2nd year Biochemistry Major and Pre-Med

Antara is the Triton Food Pantry External Affairs Manager. Antarra was born in Indiana but has lived in India through and through. She absolutely loves food and so loves working at the Pantry.

Simran Subramaniam (she/they)

2nd year Global Health Major

As the Marketing Manager of the Triton Food Pantry, Simran works to increase the reach of the resources the Pantry offers. She hopes to continue expanding the accessibility of the information about the Pantry and to work with other resource centers in the community in doing so. After graduation, she hopes to go to medical school or graduate school for public health and study health inequities.

Jennifer Van (she/her)

Tiffany Widjaja (she/her)

4th year Clinical Psychology Major, Cognitive Science Minor

As the Marketing and Communications Assistant, Tiffany strives to make The Hub Basic Needs Center's resources accessible and available to folks in the community. Tiffany enjoys creating new ways The Hub Basic Needs Center can increase its reach towards UCSD students, faculty, and families, as well as folks who reside off-campus.

After graduation, Tiffany aspires to attend graduate school and focus her studies on the relationship between brain function and behavior. She also hopes to incorporate her passion for photography and design into her future by partnering with brands that advocate for mental health through community involvement and art.

Lana Arcinas (she/her)

3rd year Interdisciplinary Computing and Art Major with a focus in UX Design

As a Basic Needs Marketing and Communications Assistant, Lana hopes to uplift the student community that The Hub serves and make its resources accessible. She strives to make designs and graphics that not only educate, but make people smile! After graduating, Lana wants to design for accessibility on the web, focusing on making an impact as a professional UX/UI designer and developer, creating things that are not only useful, but meaningful and empathetic with users.

Jocelynne Montehermoso (she/her)

3rd year Speculative Design Major

As a Marketing and Communications Assistant, Jocelynne aims to increase accessibility of information and awareness of the resources provided by The Hub Basic Needs Center. She strives to uplift students voices and is a big advocate for basic human rights for students on campus. In hopes of continually developing upon the brand identity, Jocelynne seeks to provide outreach for students, staff, and faculty. After graduation, she hopes to pursue design for companies and organizations that give back to the community. Ultimately she's aspires to have a career that will allow her "design for change".

Makayla Rivera (she/her)

3rd Year Cognitive Science with a specialization in Language and Culture Major

Makayla strives to help UCSD students through spreading awareness about resources that are offered both at UCSD and in San Diego. In addition, I hope that providing support for these students will make their college experience easier and more enjoyable. I am also a huge advocate for student health and safety, and I hope that my work will make students feel more comfortable throughout their time at UCSD.

After graduation, I plan to attend graduate school, in hopes of becoming a speech pathologist. I hope to one day open my own speech pathology practice that specializes in speech pathology for children, helping kids find their voice.

Marcy Davila (she/her)

4th year Political Science: Public Law Major, Critical Gender Studies Minor

As a peer educator, Marcy approaches community outreach through an intersectional and inclusive lens. She aims to bring more awareness to the basic needs barriers faced by off-campus students, particularly those who come from underserved backgrounds. She hopes to strengthen the connection between students and The Hub so that everyone has access to the resources they need.

In the future, Marcy intends on pursuing a legal career. She wants to involve herself in advocacy and public service work that is centered on social justice efforts.

Alycia Raya (they/she)

Political Science: Race, Ethnicity, and Politics Major

Raya was proudly raised in Stockton, California along her many siblings by a resilient and loving single mother. Raya’s love for her family inspires her passion for justice. Raya is a first gen, Chicanx/Latinx scholar now working to complete their Bachelors of Arts in Political Science: Race, Ethnicity, and Politics here at UCSD. Raya is passionate about socioeconomic justice as well as promoting and encouraging healing as an integral part of movement building. Raya is honored to work with the Basic Needs Hub where they hope to continue to learn and serve the community. 

Louis Avalos (he/him)

2nd year Communication Major

Louis is also known as Louie, Louis, Andres, or Luis. Being a second year, he has learned a great amount of information about not only San Diego, but the campus community as well. This knowledge influenced him to work for other organizations such as Warren ResLife, TLC, and the UCSD Guardian Newspaper. Working for this campus, he has been driven by his determination to help people which has resonated with him since high school. He hopes to continue his work!

Audrey Yeun (she/her)

2nd year Human Biology Major

As a Peer Educator, Audrey aims to spread The Hub's resources to more UCSD students, and advocate for more basic needs resources to be provided for diverse groups. She strives to communicate resources in a clear and straightforward way to make them easy to understand and accessible. After graduation, she plans to go into the medical field and work closely with patients to help them improve their well-being. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and dreaming of cat ownership.

Mary Sasso (she/her)

3rd year double major in Communications and Psychology.

As a Basic Needs Peer Educator, Mary strives to cultivate and engage in dialogue that promotes student wellness and community at UCSD. She hopes to spread awareness and information on basic need resources that students can utilize in their everyday lives. Mary greatly values community-building and connection and hopes to make sure that students feel heard, supported, and understood at the Basic Needs Hub Center.

In the future, Mary hopes to attend graduate school in order to obtain her Masters of Social Work. She hopes to continue the work in helping others feel supported and uplifted and obtain a therapy license some day.

Ally Fung (she/her)

2nd year Urban Studies and Planning Major and Business Minor

As a Basic Needs Peer Educator, Ally strives to spread information about Basic Needs resources within and around UCSD. Through her work, she hopes to promote equitable food access, transportation and housing accessibility, mental wellness, and a sense of community for students and community members alike. In the future, Ally intends on attending graduate school for urban planning. She hopes to pursue a career in transportation planning or housing policy to advance the accessibility of these essential resources on a large scale.

Joyce Park (she/her)

2nd year Psychology Major

As a Basic Needs Peer Educator, Joyce endeavors to inform UCSD students, as well as the people in our county, with the resources that the Hub provides on and off of campus. Along with that, she is passionate in making new connections with those that need a helping hand. Joyce hopes that she will be able to lift some stress off of those students and residents in need of aid, so that they can have an amazing school year, and a warming welcome to their community.

After graduation, Joyce plans to attend graduate school, in order to pursue her career in advocating for students, as a school psychologist/counselor.

Amoha Bhale (she/her)

2nd year Human Biology and Global Health double Major

As a Basic Needs Peer Educator, Amoha hopes to outreach to students coming from all varied backgrounds at UCSD and surrounding communities. She strives to inform everyone about the on and off campus resources that can help alleviate some of the pressures for students and help them feel safe and comfortable while acclimating to their new environment. Amoha is also a huge advocate for equitable access to basic needs and mental health resources and is especially passionate about addressing the intersectional barriers and stigmas that people face.

After graduation, Amoha hopes to pursue a career in the medical field. She is especially driven to be involved with administrative efforts to destigmatize mental health in the medical community while also centering the intersectional differences that often go unnoticed or are disregarded in medical practice.

Anne Ilustrisimo (she/her)

4th year Neurobiology Major, Psychology and Music Double Minor

As a driver for the Food Recovery Network, Anne works to recover donated food from various organizations and partnerships throughout San Diego and distribute it directly to fellow students, completely free of charge. She does so in a way that aims to display compassion, inclusivity, and understanding for the many challenges that students may face.

Following graduation, Anne aspires to attend medical school and utilize the transferrable skills and values that she’s learned in this position in order to promote sustainability and equity within the field of healthcare.

Cindy Xu (she/her)

3rd year General Biology Major

As an FRN driver, Cindy is able to save food that would be thrown away and give it to people that suffer from food insecurity. She also loves animals even though she is severely allergic to cats and dogs. As a hobby, Cindy loves playing video games including League of Legends and csgo. Moreover, Cindy also follows esports including LCS and LEC, and her favorite team since 2014 is TSM, mainly because of Bjergsen.

After graduating, Cindy hopes to become an orthodontist. She is really passionate about helping the environment and being more sustainable, which is also why the position really interests her.

Kailey Wilkens (she/her)

3rd year Computer Science Major

As a Driver, Kailey works with the FRN team to recover surplus food from local markets and redistribute it to students free of cost, supporting sustainability and food security.

Looking forward, Kailey plans to use her computer science skills to advance and support the ideals of sustainability, equity, and diversity.

Matthew Dzoan (he/him)

4th year Management Science Major, Communications Minor

As an FRN Driver, Matt helps to eliminate food waste while simultaneously fighting food insecurity. He believes that everybody has a right to not only food, but food that is nutritious and healthy.

After graduating, Matt plans to pursue a career in data science in hopes of using data to positively impact the world and its problems.

Crystal Reyes (she/her)

4th year Double Major in Sociology and Global Health with Minor in Psychology

As a FRN driver, Crystal hopes to be able to help students who are facing food insecurity. She would like to be a helping hand in providing access to goods that would have otherwise gone to waste and being more sustainable. After graduation, she hopes to use both her Sociology and Global health majors to help communities in need.

Jasmine Landeros (she/her)

4th year Sociology major with a minor in Human Developmental Sciences

As an FRN Driver, Jasmine works to minimize food waste on campus and amongst local organizations. After recovering food that would otherwise be thrown out, Jasmine redistributes it to UCSD affiliates. She enjoys working for an organization that aids tremendously in the access to food on campus. In her off-time, she loves camping, reading, visiting lakes, and taking care of plants. After graduation, Jasmine hopes to continue working with non-profit organizations that give back to communities in need.