CA EPFP Team

Sandra Bernard

Sandra Bernard

Office Manager, Center for California Studies

Sandra Bernard is the office manager at the Center for California Studies at Sacramento State and has been with the Center for 22 years. She began her career in higher education at Stanford University in 1987. In both positions, Sandra’s focus is on finance including budgets, reconciliations, purchasing and procurement, etc. Sandra enjoys live music, gardening, and football in her spare time.

 

Kalifa Madden

Kalifa Madden

Communications Manager, EdInsights

Kalifa Madden joined EdInsights in January 2020 and plays a pivotal role in managing the center’s tactical communications needs. She oversees the strategic dissemination of information for key initiatives, including the CSU Student Success Network and the California Education Policy Fellowship Program. Kalifa earned her bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communications and Public Relations at California State University, Los Angeles. She has a passion for communications, with a particular interest in crisis communications and project management. She leverages her skills to drive organizational success through creativity, collaboration, and transparency. As a first-generation transfer student, Kalifa is deeply committed to student success initiatives and advocating for equitable opportunities in higher education. 

 

 

Joanlyn Ocampo

Joanlyn Ocampo

Interim Finance and Operations Manager, EdInsights

Joanlyn Ocampo first joined EdInsights in 2014 as a temporary student assistant and now serves as the interim finance and operations manager. Joanlyn earned her bachelor of science degree in accountancy and a minor in philosophy from California State University, Sacramento. As a first-generation college graduate herself, she is passionate about supporting EdInsights’ work to inform and improve policymaking so that underserved students have equitable opportunities and resources in their higher education journey. While an undergrad, Joanlyn worked with Sacramento State’s student calling center to help raise funds for their 8 individual colleges, and held leadership roles with a non-profit student organization for two years where she raised funds to coordinate and facilitate a community health fair with over 100 attendees and 25 health vendors at Sacramento State, and helped coordinate and facilitate free blood pressure and glucose screenings at the Sacramento Hmong New Year.

 

 

 

Ben Paquette-Ferguson

Ben Paquette-Ferguson

UX Designer, EdInsights

Ben is the UX Designer at EdInsights. In his role, Ben utilizes design thinking to create user-friendly visuals that tell compelling data-driven stories. Ben has spent over fifteen years providing exceptional experiences to customers and clients in a multitude of fields including higher education, non-profit, immigration, medical, and tech. He graduated with a BA in Spanish and a minor in Business Administration from Cabrini University, a private school located outside of Philadelphia, PA. During the pandemic, he took the opportunity to further his education and earned a certificate in User Experience (UX) Design. Ben continues to provide positive experiences utilizing research and design thinking while sharing his passion for education, equity, and accessibility. He is currently pursuing his MA in Anthropology at Sacramento State.

 

Lada Thao

Lada Thao

Administrative Analyst, CA EPFP

Lada Thao joined the California Education Policy Fellowship Program team in September 2024 as an administrative analyst. Lada earned her BA in International Relations with a minor in Psychology from California State University, Chico. As a first-generation college graduate herself, Lada is passionate about helping students have access to educational opportunities and support to succeed in higher education. As an undergrad, Lada served as the president of the Upward Bound Alumni Association, a student organization whose focus is to help high school seniors transition from high school to college, and to provide them support and resources to pursue and complete their college degree program. Lada organized multiple fundraisers to fund college scholarship awards for the Upward Bound Alumni Association, and in an effort to support freshmen retention, organized mentorship programs to help students acclimate to university life. She organized and planned workshops to help high school seniors with college applications, as well as financial aid workshops to help them in their college admission journey. Lada also served as a member of the Hmong Student Association at Chico State where she helped coordinate a higher education conference for Hmong students and parents in the local community to learn more about higher education opportunities.