Meet the team!
Jose Hernandez
Interim Associate Dean, Outreach, Onboarding & Engagement
I received my Associates of Arts in Liberal Arts from Santa Monica College and transferred to UCLA where I received my Bachelor’s degree in History. I then completed my Masters in Counseling degree from Loyola Marymount University. I was a middle school counselor prior to starting my career in counseling at SMC in the fall of 2008. Born and raised on the west side, I enjoy swimming, biking and classic Chevy’s.
Dierdre Weaver
Director, Outreach & Onboarding Initiatives
I received my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at UCLA prior to completing my Master’s in College Counseling and Student Services at California State University, Northridge. I was a returning student at Santa Monica College in 2004 and have been working at the College since 2012. I came back to school in 2004 to study business as I was running my own company having just been awarded my first U.S. Patent. Born and raised in New York City, my favorite hobby – Table Tennis!
Josh Casillas
Student Onboarding Specialist, Welcome Center
I graduated from Santa Monica High school and attended Santa Monica College off and on from 1995 – 2003. I initially started working at SMC as a part time employee in 1995, then became a full-time employee in 2004. I was born and raised in the city of Santa Monica and when I attended SMC my major was Administrative Justice and Art History. My hobbies include venturing the outdoors, listening to a wide variety of music, helping others and learning.
Adrienne Johnson
Student Services Assistant, Welcome Center
I have a Bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Technology from Cal State, LA. After briefly working in a food microbiology laboratory, I came back to school in 2018 graduating with high honors and receiving two Associates of Science in Business and Recycling & Resource Management from SMC. While attending SMC I was a student worker, Student Ambassador, and Sustainable Works workshop leader. Following graduation, I held a temporary position as a student services clerk, and I am now part of the wonderful Welcome Center team.
Laura Nario
Outreach & Recruitment Specialist, Welcome Center
Hi everyone, my name is Laura Nario, and I use she/her pronouns. I was born and raised in Santa Monica CA and graduated from Santa Monica High School in 2015. For the next few years, I continued my educational journey at Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles graduating in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. I had the opportunity to begin my professional career at Mount Saint Mary’s University as a Program Coordinator for New Student & Family Engagement working closely with first-year and transfer students and their families. After three years, I was thrilled to accept the role of Outreach & Recruitment Specialist at Santa Monica College and I hope to use my experience in this position to support students navigating their educational journey and beyond. As a first-generation Latina, I want to empower our students to utilize the resources and services that Santa Monica College has to offer, encourage them to step out of their comfort zones, and create a sense of belonging in this community. In my free time, I enjoy visiting new places with beautiful views and scenery, trying new food places and I hope to travel more with my friends and family.
Estela Ruezga
Outreach & Recruitment Specialist, Welcome Center
I am a Santa Monica native and SMC alum. I graduated with my Associates degree before transferring to California State University, Northridge. Go Matadors! I received my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology while simultaneously working at SMC in 2005 as a temporary worker. In 2008, I had the opportunity to apply and become full-time and I began working in Admissions & Records. I hope to bring my 14 years of Admissions knowledge to this role. I believe in the importance of a community college education. Being a first-generation student myself, I know how tricky it can be navigating the college system. I hope to connect incoming students with resources to help them achieve their dreams. On my time off, I enjoy music, event planning and connecting with friends.