Support our Year End Campaign!
Dominick Correy
Board Chair
he/his
Dominick is a graduate of Pasadena Unified Schools and is the proud parent of a PUSD class of 2024 student. He is currently the Director of Community Relations for the Rose Bowl Stadium, and a former District Representative for California State Senator Anthony Portantino. Prior to his appointment as a District Representative, Dominick spent ten years working with high school dropouts, pregnant and parenting teen mothers, and with gang members at Learning Works. He holds a BA in Ethnic and Women’s Studies from Cal Poly Pomona and has dedicated his life to helping the same kind of at-risk young people he once was.
Laura Zachar
Vice Chair
she/her
Michael Ocon
Secretary
he/his
Michael is a proud CAP alumnus and graduate of Pasadena High School. He holds a Bachelor’s in English from Stanford University and a Master’s of Public Administration from USC. Michael is the Manager, Community Partnerships & Communications for Collaborate PASadena, a collective impact organization, and is an appointee of the Pasadena Community Access Corporation Board.
While at Stanford, Michael served as Student Advisor to the Provost and Vice Provost of Student Affairs, where he collaborated with administrators, student leaders, professional staff, and trustees on a variety of issues important to the student community. Michael was also President of MEChA de Stanford, Founder of the Stanford Coalition on Workers’ Rights, Lead Organizer of Stanford Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, and Chief Justice/Vice President of Stanford’s Interfraternity Council. He served as the National College Organizing Lead on the 2020 Kamala Harris for President campaign. Michael credits CAP advisors for his decision to apply to and attend Stanford and is committed to making sure all students have the necessary resources to make informed choices about college and beyond.
Kim Tran
Treasurer
she/her
Kim is a CPA who grew up in Orange County and has been in the public accounting field since 2010. She is currently working for The Beringer Group, a boutique CPA firm located in Pasadena. She has experience in nonprofit accounting, while her primary focus is on guiding clients through their tax and financial situations covering a wide breadth of industries.
Kim’s father instilled the value and importance of an education to her at an early age. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, as well as her MBA, from Azusa Pacific University. Kim enjoys the perks of living in the Pasadena area. In her downtime, she’s probably at Disneyland, trying out a local fitness studio, or staying home with her cat while binge watching shows.
Alondra Nieto
Alumni Chair
she/ella
Alondra is a proud CAP and Mustang alumna from John Muir’s High School 2018 graduating class. In 2022 she graduated from UC Riverside (UCR) with a BA in Education, Society, and Human Development with a concentration in Community Leadership, Policy, and Social Justice. During her undergrad, she was the President of the National Residence Hall Honorary Highlander Chapter, a student-run organization focused on improving UCR’s housing residential community and providing programs/events for the student body that encourage leadership development. She was also part of CAP’s I Heart College Student Advisory Council from 2020-2021 and a student ambassador for UCR’s School of Education during her senior year.
Alondra is currently a Recreation Services Leader with the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Natural Areas. As a former Forest Service intern and Generation Green Coordinator at John Muir High School, Nieto is passionate about providing students with outdoor educational opportunities and exposure to careers in conservation. As a first-generation immigrant student, CAP’s help throughout Alondra’s educational journey has been invaluable and the program continues to inspire her to reach new heights.
Jessica Cobb
Member
she/her
Jessica is a proud graduate of Pasadena High School and was a first-gen college student when she attended Pomona College in 1999-2003. She now holds a PhD in sociology from UC Berkeley and a JD from UCLA Law. Jessica was a CAP Program Coordinator in 2012-2013 and Director of Programs in 2013-2014. She joined the board in 2015 after penning a white paper about CAP’s work titled “College Access Plan: A Community Opting In to Post-Secondary Success.” Jessica is currently an independent researcher working on projects related to education justice. She lives in Long Beach, CA with her husband, Roman and son, Elio.
Lawton Gray
Member
he/his
Dr. Lawton Gray currently serves as the principal for John Muir Early College Magnet. As an alumnus of John Muir and a PUSD parent, Dr. Gray is a strong leader deeply committed to his students, establishing an environment where every student is seen and heard. Under his leadership, John Muir High School has grown into a thriving magnet school where all students begin their college journey in 9th grade.
Dr. Gray has a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Southern California. He has a Master’s degree in Education Leadership from Point Loma Nazarene University and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Morehouse College. He earned an administrative services credential from Point Loma Nazarene University and a California clear credential from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Ismenia Monchez
Member
she/ella
Ismenia Monchez is a distinguished leader with a remarkable journey spanning over two decades in leadership and management. She is currently serving as the HR Director at Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley where she oversees all aspects of human resources, people operations, leadership development, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Ismenia is a proud UCLA and University of Redlands School of Business alumna. A first-generation Latine leader, Ismenia’s passion lies in cultivating inclusive workspaces where every individual can find their genius zone and flourish. Her academic foundation in business and organizational leadership, combined with her extensive hands-on experience have honed her into a strategic and compassionate leader.
In her free time, Ismenia enjoys taking trips up and down the California coast with her two children, reading, writing, and attending writers’ workshops. She is excited about the opportunity to contribute to CAP’s mission and support the journey of first-generation college students and their families.
LaWayne Williams
Member
he/his
LaWayne joined the board in 2013 after years as a CAP friend, partner, and supporter. LaWayne currently serves as the Assistant Director of Community Development – West Coast at Flagstar Bank. He is the former Supervisor of Human Services and Recreation Department at the Jackie Robinson Community Center and was previously the Senior Director of Community Relations at The Pasadena Tournament of Roses. LaWayne has coordinated and implemented college awareness programs with both UCLA and UCSB. He resides in Pasadena, where he and his wife grew up and where he is the father of two children who attend PUSD schools. LaWayne brings a wealth of local knowledge and expertise to CAP. He holds a Bachelor’s from UCSB and a Master’s from CSULA, both in sociology and a Master’s of Public Administration from USC.
Mo Hyman
Co-Founder & Executive Director
she/her
As one of CAP’s founders, Mo can’t think of anywhere else on earth she’d rather be. The students she meets everyday inspire her to work hard and laugh a lot. It’s easy for her to be passionate about college: it was as an undergraduate at Michigan State University receiving a BA in English that Mo developed into a scholar, became a community advocate, and made the friends of a lifetime. She has since gone on to obtain an MA in English from the University of New Mexico and a Masters of Public Administration from USC and spent nearly two decades teaching community college English, which helped to build her passion for educational equality and access. CAP allows her to combine these passions and work shoulder-to-shoulder with the most amazing students, staff, board, and community she could have ever imagined.
In addition to her role at CAP, Mo proudly serves on the Leadership Council of Collaborate PASadena, a shared initiative of the Pasadena Public School district, community organizations, and the city/local governments of Pasadena, Altadena, and Sierra Madre. She also serves on the board of Action Kivu, a nonprofit organization that collaborates with local nongovernmental organizations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and invests in Congo’s women, children, and communities through vocational training and education, creating paths toward peace and prosperity.
Kathleen Parent
Co-Founder & President Emeritus
she/her
Kathleen views co-founding CAP as one of her proudest accomplishments. As a first generation college student, Kathleen knows the importance of providing strong, personalized support systems for aspiring college students, and appreciates the power of a college education to change lives. She studied Creative Writing and Theatre at Western Michigan University, but later changed careers to follow her lifelong passion in education. After earning a MEd from DePaul University, she relocated to Los Angeles to work in urban education. Kathleen is so grateful for the opportunity to have worked with amazing colleagues at John Muir High School in Pasadena where she taught English for eight years and worked to establish CAP’s first programs. This experience set the foundations for her career as a teacher, rooted in social justice and equity of opportunity. She now lives in Chicago, where she teaches AP and IB English at John F. Kennedy High School and co-directs the drama club. She continues her work on college access in her own classroom, and by teaching senior seminar, a college and life readiness course.
Kathleen is a non-voting member of the CAP board.
