Educational Leadership & Policy Studies

Higher Education Student Spotlight

Ayda VardumyanAyda Vardumyan is a second-year masters student in the Higher Education Leadership Program (HELP). She has recently been promoted to the Associate Director of Tseng’s College Office of Admissions, Registration, and Client Services here at CSUN. Ayda has over 13 years of experience in higher education with an emphasis on student services related to international admissions, registration, and data analysis. Ayda also served as one of 71 university Data Champions where she helped to identify barriers to graduation and provide suggestions for targeted interventions.
Jewel BourneJewel Bourne has recently been selected as a Sally Casanova Scholar as part of the California State University Pre-Doctoral Program. Jewel is a second-year master’s student in the Higher Education Leadership Program (HELP). Her research focuses on the experiences of Black female-identifying students as they navigate the community college transfer pipeline. Jewel also currently serves as the Program Coordinator for the UCLA’s Center for Community College Partnership’s Los Angeles Valley College Partnership where she assists underserved transfer students with transferring to UCLA and other institutions. Jewel has 6 years of experience in academic and student affairs and her work is motivated by her own journey as a first-generation Black woman transfer student.
Daniela BarcenaDaniela A. Barcenas is a recipient of the CSUN Alumni First-Generation scholarship. She is currently a second-year masters students in the Higher Education Leadership Program (HELP). Daniela has a long history with CSUN graduating with her B.A. in Chicana/o Studies and Political Science in 2015. Upon completing her baccalaureate degree, she began a full-time position as Administrative Support for CSUN’s EOP/ TRIO Student Support Services Program where she has the rewarding opportunity to impact students educational journey every day. In the future she plans to pursue a law degree in immigration law to advocate for undocumented individuals.