Staff

Sally Matsuishi
​Executive Director

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

Justin Douglas
​Director of Development & Outreach

While at Wesleyan, he founded and led an affinity group for students who identify as men of color called Invisible Men. Justin continued his education in Educational Leadership, Politics, and Advocacy from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University. Previously, Justin has worked in program development, operations, communications, and fundraising in youth development and education non-profits.​

Education:
  • B.A. - Wesleyan University
  • M.A. - Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development (New York University)

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

Osvaldo Palomares
​Director of Family and Community Engagement 

A Marin County native and Tomales High School Alum Osvaldo returns to his hometown a University graduate. During his time at Johns Hopkins, Osvaldo served as a Patient Advocate for Health Leads a program that works directly with underserved, immigrant families of Baltimore to obtain social services. Having worked with NGS as a tutor and summer academy teacher in the past, Osvaldo will take on the role of Director of Family and Community Engagement.

Education:
  • B.A. - The Johns Hopkins University 

Llesica Hernandez
​Director of Programs

Llesica Hernandez is a graduate from San Rafael High School and a recent graduate 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 coordinates all of our programs and is the lead teacher for the 7th grade class.

Education:
  • B.A. - UC Merced

Gaby Quintana
​Admissions Director/Lead Teacher

After growing up in beautiful Mexico, Gaby moved to California for college. She works for the Bay Area Video Coalition as a filmmaker, and coordinator of a project with the SF Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs involving the collection of immigrants’ stories. At NGS, she’s had the pleasure of teaching English and Feminist Art during Summer Academy and will continue to be a part of the team as the 9th/10th Grade Lead Teacher.
​
Education:
  • B.A. - Stanford University

Rob Elhardt
​Financial Aid Coordinator

Rob holds a BA in Communication from Stanford and a MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He has lectured and run workshops throughout the Bay Area for low-income students and their families seeking financial aid. He is responsible for millions of dollars of financial aid garnered by NGS students every year.

Education: 
  • B.A. - Stanford
  • MFA - University of Southern California