Staff
Jessie Mancilla, M.A., he/him/el
Director, Unity Multicultural Education Center
Phone: 509-313-5267
Prior to Gonzaga University, Jessie was the Associate Director of Multicultural Affairs for the School of Industrial Labor Relations at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and the Director of Latino Affairs at Minnesota State University, Mankato (MNSU). Born and raised outside the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, he earned his B.A. from the University of North Texas in Radio, Television and Film. Jessie was a video editor for FUNimation Entertainment after graduating from North Texas. He moved to Minnesota to shift careers and earned his B.S. in Political Science and M.S. Educational Leadership from Winona State University. His interests include hiking, CrossFit, advocating for others, and building relationships.
Verónica Puente, M.A., she/her/ella
Assistant Director, Unity Multicultural Education Center
Phone: 509-313-4159
Verónica was born in Mexico and raised in a rural town of Washington after the age of 11. As part of a family of migrant farmworkers and the first to go to college, her upbringing has informed the work she has pursued in higher education and in community engagement. It has also fueled her passion for student success, mentorship and social justice - spiritually and socially. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Communication from Washington State University and a Master's in Higher and Postsecondary Education from Columbia University. In her spare time, you can find Verónica hiking Spokane's trails with her family and friends or going on long walks or runs. She also enjoys supporting her local community in various ways.
Natalie Martinez, she/her/ella
Program Coordinator
Phone: 509-313-4035
Natalie was born and raised in the small agricultural town of Manson, Washington. Natalie is proud of being first generation and attended Washington State University and earned both a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Spanish. Natalie traveled abroad to over thirteen countries having the opportunity to gain cultural awareness and create lifelong friendships. Natalie is passionate about helping others and advocating for students in higher education. When she is not working, she enjoys gardening, going to the lake and socializing with friends or starting projects.
Tere Graham, she/her/hers
Program Manager for Social Justice Programming
Diversity Monologues
Speakers
Films
Art & Activism Workshops
Phone: 509-313-6368
Carmen dela Cruz, she/her/hers
Program Manager for Mentoring
Phone: 509-313-4121
Carmen dela Cruz is originally from Arkansas where they know how to fry catfish and make hushpuppies. She moved to Atlanta, GA with her mom and brother at the age of fourteen, where she received her BA in Film Studies from Georgia State University and worked for a few years with the Sales Operations team for Cartoon Network. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Chatham University in Pittsburgh, PA and is currently enrolled in Gonzaga’s Doctorate Program in Leadership Studies. She expresses her passion for art, social justice, and black feminist thought through her writing and has had selections of both prose and poetry published. Her essay, “Selma: An Exploration of the Womanist Lens and the Servant-Leader,” was selected for the Servant-Leadership, Feminism, and Gender Well-Being book published in September of 2022 by SUNY Press. Recently, her poetry was featured in the Slam! Performance Poetry from the Underrepresented in October of 2024.
Marjan Dehkordi, she/her/hers
Office Manager
Phone: 509-313-4037
Contact Us:
Unity Multicultural Education Center
702 E Desmet,
Hemmingson Center, Suite 215
Spokane, WA 99258
Phone: (509) 313-5836
Email: umec@gonzaga.edu
www.gonzaga.edu/umec