Staff Office Hours
Meet The Staff
Cynthia Kaufman, VIDA Director
Cynthia Kaufman is the Director of the Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy in Action
De Anza College where she runs, and teaches in, a community organizer training program.
She is the author of five books on social change: Consumerism, Sustainability, and Happiness, The Sea is Rising and So Are We, Challenging Power: Democracy and Accountability in
a Fractured World, Getting Past Capitalism and Ideas for Action. She has been active in a wide variety of social justice movements, most recently working
on the climate crisis. She received her PhD and MA in Philosophy from the University
of Massachusetts, Amherst, and her BA in Development Studies from UC Berkeley. She
started college at Mira Costa College, a community college in Oceanside, California.
You can find her writings at cynthiakaufman.net
Dani Plascencia Delgado, VIDA/HEFAS Program Coordinator
Dani Plascencia Delgado earned a B.A. in Social Welfare from the University of California,
Berkeley and an A.A. in Liberal Arts with a Social & Behavioral Sciences emphasis
from De Anza College. She has also contributed toShaila Ramos-Garcia,
Undocumented Student Support & UndocuSTEM Program Coordinator
Shaila Ramos-García is the Undocumented Student Support and UndocuSTEM Program Coordinator and co-founder of HEFAS. She is a culture maker, activist, poet, educator, and leader within the immigrant community in the Bay Area.
Shaila is an expert in undocumented student support in higher education, racial equity, non-violent communication, and navigating institutions with an equity lens. For the last 17 years, she has established herself in educational justice for marginalized communities and has given extensive equity and allyship training to non-profits and institutions of Higher Education.
Angelica Esquivel, VIDA Coordinator
Angélica began her journey at De Anza Community College as a first generation college
student 15 years ago. She was part of the PUENTE project, VIDA and was the co-founder
of HEFAS, the resource center for undocumented students and families. Through her
active participation, she found my passion for working with community college students
and have been at De Anza for over 9 years.After receiving her Bachelor’s in Sociology from UCLA she came back to the Bay Area
and joined the nonprofit sector, supporting immigrant communities in San Jose. In
2017, Angélica later returned to De Anza in the role of Program Coordinator for VIDA
and HEFAS, a role that allowed her to work with undocumented students and families. After some time, she decided to go back to school and enrolled at SJSU to pursue a
Masters Degree in Chicana and Chicano Studies. After graduating in 2021 she joined
the classroom by teaching in ICS at De Anza and Ethnic Studies at SJCC as part-time
faculty, before teaching in CHLX at De Anza full-time. She is now stepping into the
role as Interim Faculty Coordinator of VIDA which is a full circle for her.
In my free time, I am a cat and plant mom and enjoy reading and hiking.
Felisa Vilaubi, Counselor for VIDA/HEFAS
Felisa comes to HEFAS with 18 years of counseling experience and program development,
ranging from preschool to adult school. She started at De Anza in 2017 as a counselor
for English Performance Success and Adult Schools Transitions. Felisa’s passion for
counseling stems from a deep desire to have our students recognize their power and
see themselves as agents of change. Using a holistic lens, she meets students where
they are, and respects each student's unique and beautiful journey!
Brenda Carrillo, CYLC Program Specialist
Ivette Contreras, Near-Peer Student Success Mentor
Ivette Contreras Hernandez is a recent graduate from the University of California,
Santa Barbara, and earned a double degree, B. A in Chicana/o Studies and a B.A in
Feminist Studies. She is also an alumnus of De Anza College, where she earned an A.
A degree in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Behavioral and Social Sciences and two
certificates, Women's Studies and Leadership and Social Change. Ivette serves as a
mentor to HEFAS and UndocuSTEM students, as well as the California Youth Leadership Corps.
She supports students in navigating college classes, internship projects, and interpersonal
challenges.Staff Contact Information
- Dani Plascencia Delgado, VIDA/HEFAS Program Coordinator
plascenciadelgadodaniela@fhda.edu - Shaila Ramos-Garcia (Will be on leave during Winter Quarter 2025-2026), Undocumented Student Support & UndocuSTEM Program Coordinator
ramosshaila@deanza.edu - Felisa Vilaubi, Counselor for VIDA/HEFAS
vilaubifelisa@deanza.edu - Brenda Carrillo, CYLC Program Specialist
romerocarrillobrenda@fhda.edu - Ivette Contreras, CYLC Peer Mentor
ivettecon09@gmail.com - Cynthia Kaufman, VIDA Director
kaufmancynthia@deanza.edu
Staff In-Person and Online Office Hours:
- Monday to Thursday: 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Friday: Closed
To Schedule Appointments:
- With Ivette Contreras please shedule using calendly HERE
- Use SARS system for in person or online counseling appointments with other staff (Ex.Felissa) - Book Here
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Brenda Carrillo Shaila Ramos Angelica Esquivel |
Brenda Carrillo Dani Plascencia ECOT-5 (In person) |
Brenda Carrillo Dani Plascencia Shaila Ramos Felisa Vilaubi Angelica Esquivel |
Dani Plascencia Shaila Ramos Felisa Vilaubi |