OUR TEAM
Alison De Lucca
Executive Director
As the Executive Director of SoCal CAN, Alison works with 120+ organizations to expand college access and completion for low-income students in the region. The network plays an important role in the field by bringing together direct service organizations to exchange effective practices, address existing service gaps, and weigh in on policies and practices that support students’ ability to reach their goal of college graduation. Alison has worked on social change issues in both the United States and Central America for more than 25 years in the women’s, environmental, and immigrant rights fields. Prior to joining SoCal CAN, she served as Program Officer for the Los Angeles Immigrant Funders’ Collaborative, Program Director for Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), Campaign Coordinator for Friends of the Earth International, and Women’s Micro-enterprise Developer for the Costa Rican Ecologist Association. Alison graduated from University of California, San Diego (UCSD) with a B.A. in International Development and received her M.A. in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA ). She is serving on the board of the National College Attainment Network and has been a fellow with the Dr. Beatriz María Solís Policy Institute, the California Education Policy Fellowship and Southern California Leadership Network. She is bilingual in English and Spanish. Connect with Alison on LinkedIn.
Lina McCormick-Morin
Deputy Director
Lina is a native of Los Angeles, born and raised in East LA and Pasadena, CA. She is passionate about community wellness, education equity, and all things college access and success. Informed by her personal experiences as a first generation college student and her years spent providing direct support and counseling to diverse communities, Lina is continually motivated by the belief that postsecondary education should be a viable option for everyone. As Deputy Director of the Southern California College Attainment Network (SoCal CAN), she serves as an executive leader dedicated to SoCal CAN’s organizational development, sustainability, and strategic growth. In her role, she also strives to amplify the network’s mission of ‘advancing education equity for all’ by building and deepening K-16 partnerships, cultivating connections & resources, developing impactful programming, and identifying opportunities for cross-sector collaborations on behalf of our 120+ member organizations.
Since 2010, Lina has partnered closely with public school districts, postsecondary institutions, community-based organizations, and federal and state agencies to design, implement and scale holistic, community and student-centered initiatives. Prior to her role at SoCal CAN, Lina worked at Occidental College as the Assistant Director of Student and Community Engagement and helped institutionalize, expand, and deepen Oxy’s community engaged learning and service opportunities. Before her time at Oxy, Lina worked with multiple community organizations, including College Access Plan, Learning Works and Homeboy Industries where she oversaw the development, operation, and success of nearly a dozen college access programs serving thousands of students across Los Angeles County.
Lina was selected as a Leading for Equity Fellow by the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) in 2022 and has served on numerous committees focused on improving support for BIPOC, first-generation, and low-income students in partnership with Occidental College, California Student Aid Commission, California Community Foundation, and LAUSD. She earned her Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California where she focused on Public Health and Military Social Work & Veterans Services, and a BA in Sociology from the University of San Francisco. Connect with Lina on LinkedIn
Marcos Montes
Policy Director & Let’s Go Program Manager
Marcos manages SoCal CAN’s policy agenda, Changemakers student advocacy fellowship, and Let’s Go To College CA. He graduated in 2018 from Cal State LA with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Law and Society. He is the first in his family to graduate from a university and a proud product of college success programs. Marcos brings a wealth of knowledge around student engagement and student advocacy. He served two years as an executive member Cal State LA’s student government and one year as Vice President of Legislative Affairs for the Cal State Student Association (CSSA). During his time as a student, he was very passionate about improving college affordability, increasing civic engagement, and supporting undocumented students. He received numerous awards commending his work as a student leader including 2017 CSSA Student Advocate of the Year and a State Resolution from the CA Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon in May 2018. Marcos has years of legislative experience, student advocacy, and institutional change. Connect With Marcos on LinkedIn.
Niña Abonal
Program Director,Project SOAR
Niña brings over a decade of experience in the educational nonprofit sector, where she has led the design and expansion of enrichment programs for youth ages 6–18 and championed college access and early career development initiatives for young adults. Her work reflects a deep passion for student empowerment and community service, with a commitment to equity and innovation at the core of her approach.
As the Program Director of Project SOAR, Niña drives the strategic direction of a multi-site initiative supporting public housing residents across Greater Los Angeles. She oversees a mission-aligned counseling team, leads cross-sector partnerships, and develops scalable, high-impact programs that improve educational access and outcomes. She is dedicated to transforming systems and advancing opportunity through inclusive leadership, strategic innovation, and visionary program design.
Niña holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Education from Loyola Marymount University. Connect with Niña on LinkedIn.
Jason Vazquez
Policy & Development Associate
Jason is a first-generation college graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Political Economy from the University of California Berkeley. During college, Jason studied abroad twice and spent a semester in Washington D.C. interning at the United States Trade Representative. Prior to joining SoCal CAN, he was the advocacy intern at the Urban Foundation where he collaborated with college access partners to advance several federal and state policy priorities focused on education equity. This past summer, Jason served as Public Policy Intern with the Lumina Foundation. Now, he’s working with the SoCal CAN team to advance our policy agenda. Jason is passionate about improving access to economic mobility through education because he understands the magnified impact it can have on a person’s long-term success. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn.
Maria Cos-Olivera
Education Navigator,Project SOAR
Maria (she/her) is a first-generation college graduate from South Central Los Angeles, CA, with a strong commitment to advancing college access and educational equity. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Franklin & Marshall College, where she navigated the challenges of being a first-gen Latina at a predominantly white institution. This experience inspired her commitment to mentorship and helping students feel supported and empowered in academic and professional spaces.
Maria has worked with students across the East and West Coasts, facilitating workshops on FAFSA, college planning, and executive functioning. Additionally, she’s provided internship and job search assistance, helping students with searching, applying, and securing meaningful work opportunities. Before joining SoCal CAN, she supported community college students at LACCD campuses as a Career Coach with the Los Angeles College Promise Works program. She also coordinated student internship initiatives in partnership with the Office of LA Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration, including securing paid internships for students across multiple City Departments of Los Angeles.
She is committed to helping students not only access post secondary education but thrive, graduate, and use their voices to create positive change. Connect with Maria on LinkedIn.
Alejandro Haro
Education Navigator,Project SOAR
Alejandro is a first-generation college graduate with the experience of re-entering higher education after being removed from the college he first attended. His time away from higher education consisted of working as a gardener with his father and reassessing his plans for the future. Although supported by his immediate family for working, Alejandro was consistently advised to return to school before committing his future to manual labor. He perceived higher education as unattainable and undesirable throughout his time away; however, this mindset was transformed once he completed his first Chicano/a Studies course upon re-entering. Deeply inspired by the history of the Chicano/a Movement, Alejandro re-envisioned his contribution to the world and aspires to one day be a Professor of History, where he can promote historical subjects that resonate with future generations.
Alejandro earned a bachelor’s degree in both Chicano/a & Central American Studies and History at the University of California, Los Angeles. Alongside his education, he also has experience working as a College and Academic Success Associate with The Fellowship Initiative (TFI) at Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI), mentoring Black and Latino male students in public high schools across Los Angeles. He is empowered by his own experience of overcoming expulsion from higher education and is highly motivated to encourage others on their journey of re-entering college. He believes that, although the path of returning to school may feel daunting and insurmountable, mountains are there to be climbed, and everyone is capable of ascending. Connect with Alejandro on LinkedIn.
Tania Torres
Education Navigator,Project SOAR
Carlos Franco
Education Navigator,Project SOAR
Carlos Franco (he/him) is an educator with nearly two decades of experience helping students thrive in and beyond the classroom. He is a first-generation college graduate who received his BA in Liberal Studies and multiple subject teaching credential from CSUDH and a Master of Arts in Education with a focus on Educational Equity and Social Justice from CSULB. Carlos is passionate about making higher education more accessible and inclusive. He believes that higher education can be used as a tool for self-empowerment, especially for those who have historically been left out of these spaces.
Prior to joining Project SOAR, Carlos worked at Cal State Fullerton, supporting graduate students through academic advising while also teaching career readiness courses to undergraduate business students.
Carlos draws inspiration from the writings of bell hooks and Paulo Freire and believes education should be liberating, transformative, and rooted in care & community. Outside of work, you might find Carlos exploring local coffee shops, reading books, or taking part in a Zumba class. Connect with Carlos on LinkedIn.
Benedict Lopez Joson
Executive Administrative Assistant
Ben is a queer Filipino immigrant, community organizer, and operations professional. Ben’s work in the social sector is inspired by his experience growing up in New York and receiving both a private and public education in the nation’s most segregated system. He is deeply committed to the belief that all people should receive an inclusive, equitable, quality education, regardless of who they are and where they are born. As a recent transplant from Queens and a new resident of South Pasadena, Ben is actively engaged in local, national, and global efforts to nurture community and advance justice. Ben joined SoCal CAN in spring 2023 as our first ever Executive Administrative Assistant and provides invaluable support to the SoCal CAN leadership team on administrative projects critical to organizational development and coalition-building. Connect with Ben on LinkedIn.