Our Team and Counselors

Program Coordinator: Elizandro Umaña

Elizandro Umaña was born and raised in the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Westlake District and pre-gentrified Echo Park. Elizandro is the proud son of Salvadoran refugee parents who migrated to the U.S. during the Salvadoran Civil War. His lived experiences and community reinforced a passion for social justice. As a first-generation college student, Elizandro studied Sociology and Latin American Studies at Cal State LA. His research interests include coloniality, racial capitalism, policing, criminalization, immigration, critical pedagogy, and Central American Studies.

Elizandro joined the East Los Angeles College Student Services family in fall 2015. There, Elizandro co-founded the ELAC Safe Zone Coalition, serving as a trainer to center the experience of undocumented students and LGBT+ students at ELAC; Co-directed the ELAC Male Leadership Academy (2016-2018), providing mentoring and academic support to men of color; Coordinated GO East LA (2015-2019), a college and career pathway program in partnership with LAUSD & Cal State LA, Coordinated the Los Angeles College Promise Program (2017-2019). Currently, Elizandro is a staff coordinator for ELAC's Dream Resource Center, and ELAC's Education Justice Scholars Program serving undocumented students and formerly incarcerated students.

Beyond his passion for education and social justice, Elizandro enjoys being near the water swimming and enjoying the sun, out in nature hiking or camping, listening to music, and going on long road trips to experience the amazing world we live in and photographing the journey.