Staff

Angelia Tran - SSS (ASPIRE) Assistant Director Angelica is a first-generation college graduate born and raised in the Bay Area. She graduated from San José State University with a B.A. in Justice Studies and an M.A. in Counselor Education. She has been a part of the TRiO family as both a student participant and as professional staff for over 15 years and understands first hand the impact and importance of TRiO programs. She loves working with students and helping them achieve their academic goals and beyond.

Anthony Stoker - Peer Advisor Anthony Stoker is currently a graduate student in SJSU's counseling program. He personally got his start in Chabot College's SSS (ASPIRE) program and he wants to do his best to be just as helpful to others as they were to him. Through their help, he was able to successfully transfer and earn his undergraduate degree. Throughout his time as an undergrad, he had worked with various student service programs like SSS (ASPIRE), MESA (Mather, Engineering, Science Achievement), and Disabled Student Resource Center as a tutor and student assistant. 

Dr. Maria E. Cruz - SSS (APSIRE)/McNair Director Dr. Maria Elena Cruz is a descendant of the Huichol (Wixaritari) people of Mexico and was born in Northern California. She is the first person in her family to graduate from college and the first to receive her Ph.D. She received her BA in English with an emphasis on Twentieth-Century Literature (from Modern to Contemporary) Anglophone and Multiculltureal studies from U.C. Berkley (2004). Dr. Cruz is also proud to be a McNair Scholar Alumnus from U.C. Berkley. She completed her Masters in Social-Cultural Anthropology at the University of Texas Austin (2007) and a Ph.D. from the same department in 2013. Dr. Cruz loves to spend time with her family, friends and enjoys traveling.

Martha Toral - Analyst & Administrative Coordinator Martha is a first-generation student and native-born San José, Californian. Her love of the sciences inspired her decision to major in STEM. She graduated from SJSU with a B.S. in Molecular Biology and a minor in Chemistry. Martha is a wonderful new addition to the office and has reorganized the entire program. She is awesome and we are thankful for her!