LEADERSHIP

Elaine R. Serina, Ph.D., Founder and Advisory Member

Dr. Serina founded Pinay Aspirations in 2006 and remained as President for four years. She has been an active member of the community, having served as President-Elect for the Filipina Women's Network, as Vice-President of the UC Berkeley Engineering Alumni Association, on the Advisory Council of the Daly City Youth Health Center, and currently co-authoring Step-Ins, a collection of stories and photographs of Filipino American women. Dr. Serina is also a Principal of Talas Engineering, Inc., a nationally-recognized engineering consulting firm. She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley.

Melissa Locsin, President

Melissa Locsin she/her is a Filipina actor and teaching artist who can be seen in national commercials and in the award-winning feature film, East Side Sushi. She has toured across the nation, bringing rich storytelling and improvisation to hundreds of underserved and diverse communities, as well as to industry and business professionals. Melissa has a heart of service, and is a proud member of MALI (Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute of Silicon Valley) and core team leader of FANHS (Filipino American National Historical Society of Silicon Valley), bringing awareness and presence of Filipino culture to the Bay Area. As an acting coach, mentor, and President of Pinay Aspirations, Melissa is committed to inspiring young Pinayx to live the life they imagine by supporting their advancement and excellence in both their artistic and career endeavors through creativity, joy, drive, and representation. Melissa is also a certified yoga teacher, and her greatest honor is being mother to three amazing daughters.

2022 Scholarship Review Board

Shelene Atanacio

Jacqueline Brown

Jacquie Brown grew up in the Bay Area but currently resides in New York. She received her Bachelors for UC Berkeley in Psychology with a minor in Business. She was active in many college Filipino community organizations including Pilipino American Alliance (PAA), Pilipino Academic Student Services (PASS), and Maganda Magazine. She currently works in People Operations at Google with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. She also teaches yoga, meditation, and mindfulness workshops.

Mariel De La Paz

Angeline Maningo

Angeline Maningo is a Bay Area native, first-generation Filipina-American, and a prior recipient of the Pinay Aspirations scholarship back in 2010. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco State University, majoring in Broadcast & Electronic Communication with a focus on writing for media. She’s now a program manager at Facebook, where she leads Developer Circles, Facebook’s global program for developer communities. In her current role, she’s able to incorporate her passions for communities, stories, empowering others, & promoting diversity in tech. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring new places, watching copious amounts of Netflix, going on food adventures & searching for everything ube in the Bay Area.

Marivic Paraz

Marivic Paraz was born in Cebu, Philippines but grew up in Daly City/South San Francisco area since the age of eight. She is currently a registered nurse working for Kaiser Permanente with a nursing background that encompasses cardiology, sports orthopedics, and post kidney transplant both as a floor nurse and as a nurse leader. She received her Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) from College of San Mateo and Master's Degree in Nursing (Clinical Nurse Leader) from the University of San Francisco. She leads a busy life juggling career and three active daughters. She enjoys traveling, dancing, working out and watching her favorite Bay Area sports teams (Go Niners!). The importance of an education and lifelong learning was instilled in her by her parents, which she chooses to do the same with her daughters. She is thrilled to be a part of Pinay Aspiration's Scholarship Commitee this year.