Samantha Paredes-Cruz

Samantha Paredes-Cruz is excited to join our team as the Site Coordinator at Mendez High School. As a Site Coordinator, Samantha will provide case management services to encourage students' academic growth and independence.

Samantha is passionate about youth and Latino advocacy. As an advocacy fellow at Alliance for Girls, an Oakland-based organization focused on amplifying girls' voices, she contributed to policy initiatives that mandated free menstrual products in girls’ restrooms across California high schools. Additionally, she participated in the Not One More Girl Campaign, which aims to promote safe public transportation in Oakland. She also interned at Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, where she monitored and advocated for legislation committed to improving Latino access to Education, Healthcare, and Civic Engagement.

Prior to joining CISLA, Samantha worked as a Special Education Assistant at Para Los Niños Middle School, where she offered academic, socio-emotional, and behavioral support to her students. She regularly monitored the students' progress to ensure they were meeting their yearly IEP goals. In this role, she recognized the disconnect many students felt with their education and actively encouraged them to remain engaged in school. While she valued her work in the classroom, Samantha is eager to expand her impact by providing services that extend beyond academic support. Samantha was born and raised in Highland Park, located in Northeast Los Angeles. She