Staff

Janeen Mendoza Cruz
Executive Director
​
Janeen grew up in Woodville farm labor camp in California’s Central Valley.  She is the proud daughter of Mexican immigrants Jesus and Consuelo Perez. She earned a dual degree in Economics and Latin American Studies from UC San Diego. Throughout her career, Janeen has dedicated herself to uplifting communities of color both in direct service to the community and in strengthening organizations serving vulnerable populations.  Most recently, Janeen served as the Education Program Officer at the Tipping Point Foundation, where she had the privilege of granting $7M to nonprofits in the Bay Area. 

Previous to her work at Tipping Point, Janeen served as a Development Associate at the Level Playing Field Institute, Program Director at The University of Southern California Latina Global Executive Leadership Program, Operations Coordinator at the Hiptipico + Mayan Education Fund and Program Director of Creating a Path to Success (CAPS), where she worked directly with young Latinx students from across California to ensure they were able to plot a course into higher education and a career in their field of choice.

Education:
  • B.A.- UC San Diego

Jovani Azpeitia
​Director of Family and Community
Engagement​

Jovani was born in Kirkland, WA, but raised in Hidalgo, Mexico in his early childhood. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Pomona College with a degree in Psychology and Chicanx-Latinx Studies. In his time at Pomona, he was also part of the Pomona College orchestra, served as a student liaison and mentor to the psychology department, and hosted academic and professional development workshops for first-generation and low-income students.  

Education:
  • B.A. - Pomona College

Andrew Chong
Admissions Associate

Andrew was born in San Francisco and raised in San Rafael. He went to Sun Valley Elementary School, Davidson Middle School, San Rafael High School, and College of Marin. After a short stint at American University, he earned a BA degree from UCSD in International Studies and Sociology. During his time at UCSD, he studied abroad in Santiago, Chile for 6 months. Andrew enjoys basketball, studying languages, playing music, cooking, and exploring nature and traveling. Andrew is excited to take on his role as the Admissions Associate.

Education: 
  • B.A. - UC San Diego
Shawn Cole-Woods
​Director of Academics and Admissions 

A native of Jackson, MS, Shawn uses math and science as a lens to view life. He moved from Memphis, TN, in 2016 with his husband, William, and furry daughter, Reese, to teach full-time, secondary education. He earned a B.S. in Physics with a Mathematics Emphasis from Tougaloo College. He is currently earning a Ph.D. in Molecular Science and Nanotechnology from Louisiana Tech University. Shawn's been at NGS as a Physics tutor and Summer Academy teacher! 

Education:
B.S. - Tougaloo College

Cherie Graham
Director of Development & Outreach

Cherie is passionate about empowering young people to be successful in their careers and lives through education and mentoring. She enjoyed a 20 year career in Financial Services before transitioning to the nonprofit space. She has been a mentor at Year Up for over 10 years and recently served as COO at Girls Leadership in Oakland where she led Operations, Finance, Human Resources, and Technology. Cherie moved to the Bay Area from Boston in 2015 to escape the cold weather. Cherie has a BA in International Studies from The American University and an MBA from Babson College. On weekends you'll find her hanging out with her dog, Baloo, enjoying a hike in Marin or browsing the local farmers market. 

Education:
  • B.A. - The American University
  • MBA - Babson College

Llesica Hernandez
​Director of Programs

Llesica Hernandez grew up in Los Angeles, California and moved to San Rafael, at the age of 12, where she attended Davidson Middle School and San Rafael High School. Llesica graduated from the University of California, Merced with a degree in Psychology. During her time as an undergraduate she worked as a peer health educator for UC Merced’s Health Education Representatives for Opportunities to Empower Students (H.E.R.O.E.S.), an organization that work to make UC Merced a healthier campus. She served as a group leader for two years tackling wellness issues on campus with her group. This year, Llesica is excited to teach our 6th, 7th, and 8th grade class.

Education:
  • B.A. - UC Merced

Beverly Matsuishi, Ph.D. (PSY # 16203) Clinical Director​

As Clinical Director, Dr. Matsuishi, a psychologist, oversees the provision of social and clinical support services to scholars and their families. Dr. Matsuishi is dedicated to fostering and preserving the vibrancy of communities of color so they can nurture and sustain future generations of scholars. Her dissertation on Japanese American women and the internment won the Richard Allen Smith Award for excellence. She is a past recipient of a National Institute for Mental Health/American Psychology Association grant for specialized training in Asian American Psychology. She also received a grant from the People's Republic of China/World Health Organization to serve as a visiting scholar at the Hunan University Medical Center in Changsha, China.

Education:
  • B.A. - UC Berkeley
  • M.S. - Dominican University of California
  • Ph.D. - The Wright Institute

Sally Matsuishi
Founder and Director of College and Career Counseling

In 2003, after serving for nearly a decade in college access for underserved students in South Central and East LA as well as Koreatown, Sally returned to her native Marin to create Next Generation Scholars which has become a nationally recognized, award winning, educational access non-profit. She lectures and consults across the country on issues of educational justice, college prep curriculum for underrepresented populations, and college access. She is a proud mother, daughter and wife and owner of one large cat and one small dog.

Education:
  • B.S. - Vassar College
  • MFA - University of Southern California
Simran Singh
Financial Aid Coordinator
Simran works on the financial aid application process with each class of NGS seniors as well as with any college student renewing their aid. Growing up in Marin and as an alum of NGS (Class of 2011), Simran credits his experiences as a student with NGS in receiving a financial aid package from Tufts University that made it possible for him to graduate debt free. After college, Simran found work with uAspire, a national nonprofit that works with students as they apply for financial aid.  Glad to get to pay his experiences forward, you can find Simran at NGS throughout the year holding financial aid workshops or working one-on-one with students and families.
 
Education:
  • B.A. – Tufts University