THE FOUNDATION FOR
ACADEMIC ENDEAVORS
Breaking down barriers. Creating opportunites.
The Foundation for Academic Endeavors strives to promote a multi-cultural, and inclusive identity. Working together to affect change in our communities, we stand in solidarity with those working to pursue their dreams and goals.
THE BOARD OF FAE
A Commitment to Community
Noemi Rodriguez
Noemi is a graduate of Skagit Valley College and is currently College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) Director at Skagit Valley College. Previously, she was a School Based Advisor for the College Success Foundation. She mentors a cohort of 40-70 students as they make their way through high school and plan for college. She worked as a Program Coordinator in the Advising and Counseling Center at Skagit Valley College from 2015-2018 and served as Secretary for the Skagit Head Start Policy Council. Noemi was an ESL Peer Advisor at Highline Community College assisting ESL students with all aspects of the ESL registration process.
She lives in Mt. Vernon with her three children who all enjoy the FAE Summer Academy as students.
Flor Zamorano Beltran
Flor was an Administrative Fellow in 2018 and later served as a Classroom Fellow in 2019 and 2020. She was a Dare to Dream Program Coordinator and School Site Coordinator for Communities in School. Flor earned her Associates Degree from Skagit Valley College and is a Graduate of Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts: Teaching for Social Justice. She earned her Masters in Teaching from University of Washington and is currently teaching kindergarten in the Mount Vernon School District.
Ranulfo Molina
Ranulfo first came to FAE from the Maestros Para El Pueblo program at Skagit Valley College serving as a Classroom Fellow in 2019. In 2020 he was a fellow in the pilot of our Virtual Academy helping FAE to create this new program. He is a graduate of Skagit Valley College and Western Washington University and earned his Masters from the University of Washington in Education Policy. Ranulfo worked as a Dare 2 Dream Mentor in 2021 and is currently Benefits Hub Coordinator at Bellevue College.
Karina Borja-Hurtado
Karina was born and raised in Mexico. She is the 3rd of 4 siblings. Karina has a BA of Business Administration from the UNIVA in Mexico. She got married in Mexico in 2007. In 2008, her husband brought her to the U.S as a legal resident. Five year later, she became a US citizen. She lives with her husband Juan Rocha and their 2 daughters, Valeria who is 12 years-old and Andrea, who is 6 years-old, as well as with her mother, Elidia Hurtado. They have a dog named “Dante” as the dog in the movie “Coco”. She brought her parents to the U.S as legal residents as soon as she was able to when she became a U.S. citizen. Karina has been working at Skagit Valley College for 9 years, currently she is a BEdA Navigator. Karina has earned a MBA of Business Administration from Western Washington University. She enjoys going back to Mexico to visit her family and friends.
Her volunteer experience include: Tax preparation with Goodwill Mount Vernon. Coach Assistant with New Millennium soccer team. She is Bilingual English/ Spanish. She loves spending time with her family, going out for a walk, playing loteria, dancing, singing, exercising. Enjoys laughing out loud with her daughters and husband. She likes to serve and support people in every place she goes.
Daisy Padilla Torres
Daisy earned her Master of Education from Western Washington University in Adult Higher Education with an emphasis in Latino/a/x education, English Language Learning, and program development strategies. She holds a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Certificate. Daisy is currently the Director of Access, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Woodring College of Education at Western Washington University. She manages the office of Diversity, Recruitment and Retention; her work encompasses two pathway programs: the Maestros Para el Pueblo and Future Woodring Scholars, where they develop and support innovative practices for students to access programs that help them achieve personal and professional goals. In addition, Daisy engages with at large campus and community work, like co-chairing Woodring’s Equity, Diversity Committee, the Pathways Faculty Advisory Board, the Latine Housing Committee, and Social Justice and Equity Committee. Most importantly, she loves to spend time with her two beautiful daughters and partner in life. Grateful to her family who have ingrained humility, hard-work, commitment, integrity, and love.
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Marco Martinez
Marco served as the FAE PE Teacher in 2018. He has experience as a Paraprofessional in the Anacortes School District and has worked as a Substitute Teacher in the Stanwood Camano SD. Hi is currently a carpenter for BYK Construction, and worked for the Hexcel Corporation as a Packaging Assistant. Marco is a graduate of Central Washington University and holds a B.S. in Exercise Science.
THE STAFF OF FAE
Carol Rodin
Co Executive Director
Carol graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and teaching credentials in Secondary English and K-12 French. She has taught French from the preschool to the high school level. Carol worked in the travel industry from 1987-1991.
Her volunteer work includes ten years of elementary school classroom support and a variety of Anacortes School District committees. She volunteered with the Resurrección Summer Day camp from 2012 -2014. Carol volunteered for Anacortes Learning and Lunches, a summer feeding and literacy program from 2012-2014 and served as the Program Director in 2014. She served as PTA Legislative Chair from 1999-2003. She is a founding member of FAE and served as Assistant Director from 2015-2018. She was ordained to the priesthood in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia in 2012. Carol enjoys hiking, running, skiing and reading. She loves spending time with friends and family. She has three grown children and lives in Anacortes with her husband.
Dania Jaramillo
Co Executive Director
Dania is a graduate from Mount Vernon High School, earned her Associates degree from Skagit Valley College and is a graduate of Western Washington University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in an Interdisciplinary concentration titled: Resisting Schools through Radical Love and a minor in Education and Social Justice. She currently is working on her Masters in Education through University of Washington.
Dania has been a part of FAE for over three years as a fellow, then as assistant executive director and now as Co-Executive Director. In addition to FAE Dania has worked with Migrant youth through a program titled: Dare to Dream. She is an advocate in our community for educational justice and immigrant rights. In 2020, Dania co-authored a chapter titled: Trenzudas, Truchas, y Traviesas: Mapping Higher Education Through a Chicana Feminist Cartography. From a published book titled: Studying Latinx/a/o Students in Higher Education; A Critical Analysis of Concepts, Theory, and Methodologies.
Her approach to education centers collectively creating a life affirming education that invites those that have been deemed disposable by society to actively participate in building a better future and recognizes that we are all holders and creators of knowledge and in doing so, provides a process that affirms our self-worth.
Dania is a proud immigrant from Sinaloa, México who enjoys spending time with her family, her husband, her son and their French bulldog, Max.
Rosario Aguilar
Program Director
Rosario earned her Law Degree, from the Universidad Autonoma de Sinaloa, Mexico in 1990. She attended workshops at the National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) national convention, Dare to Disrupt! The Pathway to Excellence and Equity in Education in 2016. She completed Basic Excel, Word and Google Docs training at Skagit Valley College in 2018 and began ESL classes at Skagit Valley College in 2019. She served on the Citizen Participation Council in Mexico. And worked as a lawyer in training from 1990-93. She assisted with the INEGI Economic Census Mexico 1994-95, and worked at the Ayuntamiento de Mazatlán, Mexico Income Office from 1996-98. She has been the secretary of El Camino Lutheran Church since 2016. Rosario is a member of the Skagit Valley College Leadership Initiative Class of 2020.
Her volunteer work includes: Board Member of Foundation for Academic Endeavors (FAE) 2015-18, Resurreccion Episcopal Church Summer Program from 2012-13 and with the Defence of Human Rights program in the Municipal Jail of Mazatlan, Mexico 1992-93.
Rosario enjoys walking with her family and spending time with her grandson. She loves to read and watch movies.
Marlene Rios
Program Director
Marlene receive her high school diploma from the Colegio de Bachilleres del Estado de Tlaxcala, Mexico in 1998. She completed ESL classes through Level 6 at Skagit Valley College, 2002-2004. In 2018 she took Basic Excel, Word and Google Docs at Skagit Valley College. She attended workshops at National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) national convention, Date to Disrupt! The Pathway to Excellence and Equity in Education in 2016. Marlene served as the Foundation for Academic Endeavors as Assistant to the Program Director and liaison to the Latino community, curriculum development team, and assisted with teacher training, and office oversight from 2016-2017.
Her volunteer experience includes: Kiwanis membership and volunteer for Salmon BBQ, Little Mountain Elementary School- Classroom volunteer, Volunteer teacher aide and field trip chaperone from 2011-present, and for the Mt. Vernon Co-op preschool Parent group 2010-2011. She spends most of her free time doing art, crafts and listening to music. She loves hiking with her family around Skagit and Whatcom county and enjoys meeting new people.