Arianna Avendaño is a proud San Mateo native. She graduated from CSM with an A.A. in Social Science and from CSU East Bay, where she earned a B.A. in Psychology. While at CSM, she worked on campus in the Community Relations and Marketing Department as a student ambassador. Due to her contributions to the college and her academic success, Arianna received several prestigious scholarships. As an alumna, Arianna was invited to serve as the speaker of the 2014 commencement, where the theme of her speech was “Define Your Own Meaning of Success.

Arianna brings years of professional experience advocating for others and creating empowering spaces while optimizing systems to enhance operational efficiency. She worked as a program counselor for JumpstartMD, a leading doctor-developed medical weight loss program, where she provided coaching sessions and educated clients on developing healthy, sustainable lifestyle changes. Arianna also proudly holds a certificate in Advanced Sport and Exercise Nutrition.

Additionally, she worked for six years in the non-profit sector as a counselor to survivors of sexual assault.

While passionate about health and wellness, Arianna realized she wanted to return to an educational setting. Through networking and establishing herself in San Mateo County, she worked at the San Francisco Unified School District before finding her way back to the College of San Mateo.

For the past nine years, Arianna has supported some of the most hyper-marginalized students as Program Services Coordinator for the Extended Opportunity Programs & Services (EOPS) at CSM. She is deeply committed to equity and approaches her work with a holistic perspective. Arianna believes in the importance of supporting our public service workforce at CSM and looks forward to assisting these faculty members. She is excited to increase the visibility of the Administration of Justice and Fire Technology programs while fostering innovative learning experiences for students in these fields