Cassidy Alvarado

Dr. Cassidy Alvarado, Director of National & International Fellowships
Leavey Hall, Suite I
Tel: 310.338.3792
E-mail: cassidy.alvarado@lmu.edu    

Cassidy Alvarado’s areas of interest include community college and transfer student support, postgraduate pathways, and equity, access, and inclusion in international education. In addition to leading ONIF, she is also a lecturer in LMU's University Honors Program and the Communications Director for the National Association of Fellowship Advisors (NAFA). In June of 2022, Cassidy received a Fulbright AIEA grant to South Korea where she learned about the Korean higher education system. 

Prior to LMU, she co-established the National & International Scholarships and Fellowships Program at California State University, Los Angeles. In this capacity, she supported students in pursuing external awards that offered transformative and challenging experiences in the areas of academic and applied research, and global and civic learning. She also managed the Honors thesis process and assisted students with internships, research opportunities, and graduate admissions. 

Cassidy graduated in May 2021 with her Doctorate in Educational Leadership for Social Justice from LMU. Her dissertation explored community college and transfer student access to nationally competitive awards, like the Gilman and Fulbright grants. She also earned an M.A. in Humanities, with an emphasis in creative writing, from Mount Saint Mary's University and a B.A. in English from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

 

Lindsay Anderson, Fellowships Advisor

Lindsay Anderson, Fellowships Advisor
Leavey Hall, Suite I
Tel: 310.338.3950
E-mail: Lindsay.Anderson@lmu.edu  

Lindsay Anderson’s passions include supporting first-generation college students in navigating graduate education, connecting change-agent leaders to post-graduation plans and resources, and fostering greater diversity/equity/inclusion in all the spaces she inhabits. Of all the national fellowships that she has provided assistance on, she gravitates towards fellowships relating to change-agent leadership and public policy.

Before joining LMU, she was a national fellowships advisor and later an academic advisor at Texas A&M University. While at TAMU, she won the New Advisor of the Year Award and an Innovation Award for creating unique programming as an academic advisor. She developed a diversity-infused seminar for the University Scholars program at A&M that examined the creation of identity in stand-up comedy, both as comedians and as audience members. Lindsay has a history of leadership and volunteerism in journalism, ministry, labor unions, advising, DEI committees, and honors programming.

Lindsay graduated with an M.A. in Communication with an emphasis on film and rhetorical analysis from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2013. While there, she taught public speaking for two years and was a Summer Pre-Doctoral Institute fellow. She graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. double major in Communication and Philosophy from Texas A&M University in 2008 and was in honors societies Lambda Pi Eta (Communication) and Phi Sigma Tau (Philosophy). Before transferring to Texas A&M, she attended a community college in Texas and was a member of the honor society for community colleges, Phi Theta Kappa. She graduated high school as a National Hispanic Merit Scholar.

Pablo Aguilar photo

Pablo Aguilar, Graduate Student Generalist
E-mail: paguila3@lion.lmu.edu 

Pablo is a first-year graduate student working on his MFA in writing for the screen. He’s passionate about international education and Latine experiences and hopes to assist students from Latine backgrounds to pursue fellowship opportunities that will help them grow as global citizens and leaders. Outside of LMU Pablo is an active tenant organizer in South LA and is involved with several political movements focusing on equity and liberation.

Prior to ONIF, Pablo was a project manager at Intersect Los Angeles, a UX/UI firm. Before that he was a peer advisor and student assistant at Northridge’s International Exchange Student Center where he specialized in study abroad opportunities, specifically helping prospective applicants discern their program preferences. Through this, he has experiences with several internationally oriented fellowships, including Gilman and Pell.

He received his bachelor’s degree from California State University, Northridge majoring in Cinema and Television Arts with an emphasis in screenwriting and a minor in Japanese. He received Magna Cum Laude honors and was an active member of the campus Latine Student Union as well as the school's Japanese Student Association. In the fall of 2019, he studied abroad at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan through the California State University International Program.

 

James Owen photo

James Owen, Graduate Student Generalist
E-mail: jowen5@lion.lmu.edu 

James Owen is a first-year LMU graduate student from Atlanta, Georgia. He is pursuing an MFA in Film Production. After graduation, James plans to work as a producer and director in the film and television industry. In his free time, James enjoys long-distance running, hiking, and, of course, watching plenty of movies.

James graduated with an MPhil in Film and Screen Studies from the University of Cambridge in 2023. For his undergraduate, he reserved a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies from Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, GA, as a presidential scholar. 

James is also currently interning with the American Cinematheque, where he is working to annotate archived interviews and audio files for their online database. He is very excited to work with the passionate and engaged people at ONIF!

 

Yvette Castellanos

Yvette Castellanos, Student Support Coordinator
E-mail: ycastel1@lion.lmu.edu 

Yvette Castellanos is a second-year LMU undergraduate student. She is double majoring in Health and Human Sciences and Sociology. Her career plans include attending medical school and working in pediatrics. Yvette’s co-curriculars consist of membership in Ignatians, the LMU service organization with a focus on restorative justice, working as a freshman dorm Resident Advisor, and partaking in Cedars-Sinai Hospital’s Adult Volunteer Program. Yvette’s passions include human-centered service, community, and equity.

Yvette graduated from Christian Brothers High School in 2022 with highest honors, National Honors Society, completion of the Scholars Program, and the 4-year arts program. Yvette was the class of 2022’s recipient of the Visitor’s Lasallian Award, awarded to a student who exemplifies the values of Academic Achievement, Service to Fellow Students, and Participation in School Activities.

Before joining ONIF, Yvette was employed by the Emily Shane Foundation, a non-profit organization that offers free mentor/tutoring to middle schoolers of the greater LA area struggling in core subjects. Yvette continues her work with ESF as the President of the ESF Club at LMU. Over the summer, Yvette also works as a caregiver.

Yvette’s favorite part of working with ONIF is the caring and passionate people in the office!

 

Paula Millan, Student Coordinator

Paula Millan, Student Support Coordinator
E-mail: pmillan1@lion.lmu.edu 

Paula Millan is an out-of-state second-year LMU undergraduate student earning her B.S. in Biology. She plans on participating in the 4+1 Healthcare Systems Engineering Masters program to obtain a career as a healthcare professional. Paula’s co-curriculars include Sursum Corda, an on-campus service organization with a focus on food justice, as well as Tri-Beta Honors Society, Lions for Medicine, and Latinx Student Union. Paula’s passions are equality, equity, and representation of minorities. She loves assisting others, which inspires her to pursue a career where she can make a difference in other people’s lives. 

Paula graduated from Saint Scholastica Academy in 2022 as an honors student and a member of the National Honors Society, National English Honor Society, National Junior Classical League, Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society, Science National Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta. She was also the 2021 recipient of the Sr. Juanita Federico Memorial Scholarship in her graduating class, and Paula was chosen as a Hispanic Scholarship Foundation Scholar in 2022.

ONIF is Paula’s first on-campus job, and she is incredibly excited to start her journey with us.