About Us
Our Team
The Science Learning Intitute is managed by two teams, our Staff Team and the SLI STEM Impact Team. Meet our teams members here.
Staff Team
Sophia Kim, SLI Director
Sophia joined Foothill College in April 2020. She is a transplant from Boston, where
she spent almost 15 years working in the nonprofit youth work space, directing programs
that primarily served Asian American youth from immigrant and low-income backgrounds,
building youth leadership and supporting youth to effect positive change in their
communities. Sophia also has a commitment to anti-oppression education and change
work through initiatives to develop anti-racism trainings, activist trainings for
young adults.
Sophia has a bachelor's degree from Williams College, where she double-majored in biology and history, and a master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts Boston, with a focus on multicultural education at the secondary level.
Sophia spends her free time with her husband and young son, riding their bikes, camping in the forests and by the beach, hiking, and trying to be outdoors as much as possible. She loves cooking and baking for family and friends, and exploring new places with her family.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-kim-31805626/
Jovanah Arrington, MESA Program Coordinator
Jovanah joined Foothill College as the MESA Program Coordinator in September 2023.
Prior to this, she was the Athletics Academic Advisor at De Anza College. During this
time, she worked closely with student-athletes to support them in meeting their academic
and athletic goals. Prior to De Anza, Jovanah interned for UCLA Athletics where she
was an Academic Mentor for student-athletes from a variety of teams.
Jovanah has an Associate’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Merced College, and both a Bachelor’s in Education and Master’s in Sociology degree from Cal Poly Humboldt where she was a former Women’s Basketball student-athlete.
Paty Villegas, MESA Counselor
Patricia Villegas (Paty) server Foothill College students as a Counselor for the MESA
Program. She is also a MESA Counselor at Mission College and an Adjunct Lecturer at
Evergreen Valley College where she provides educational counseling and teaches courses
on career planning and study skills. Paty is highly passionate in working with youth
and young adults from underserved communities and guiding them with their academic
and career goals.Paty’s life mission is to equip and empower students to pivot their
mindset, find career fulfillment, and live a life with purpose and intention.
She says, “I recognize the struggle that students experience in identifying their gifts and talents and how to use their strengths in the workforce. I am determined to help them acknowledge their unique traits.” Paty holds advanced degrees from San Jose State University and the University of Southern California in Social Work.
Jordan Bueno, MESA Program Assistant
Lillian Swedlow, Student Empowerment Specialist
Lily is an Aerospace Engineering major who found her footing at Foothill College during the pandemic, launching her journey with SLI in the Techcore Cohort. Since then, she’s taken on various roles to empower students and build community—serving as a Peer Mentor for the Techcore Summer Institute (2021), a member of the STEM Impact Team (2021–23), Program Coordinator for the PRE-STEM Summer Institute (2022), and now as the STEM Student Empowerment Specialist. Her passion for space and innovation extends beyond Foothill—she’s participated in two NASA programs, further fueling her drive to make an impact in aerospace.
When she’s not championing student success or spreading awareness about SLI, Lily enjoys playing video games, listening to audio books, and spending time with friends, family, her partner, and their dog.
Fernanda Aboytes, SLI Program Assistant
SLI STEM Impact Team 2024-25
Find out more information here. This leadership team is dedicated to change efforts to advance SLI's mission both on campus and in the local community.
Carlos Hernandez, Mechanical Engineering (he/him)
Hello! I’m Carlos Hernandez, representing my hometown of Chicago as a first-generation Mexican-American college student. I embarked on my academic journey at Foothill College in 2023 with a passion for Mechanical Engineering. With the support of the PRE-STEM Summer Institute and MESA, I’ve been navigating the world of STEM with a goal to amplify representation and break barriers.
My curiosity led me to an internship with EMD Electronics, where I dived into the world of semiconductors. Beyond academics and work, you can find find me listening to music, catching concerts, and exploring new hobbies.
Cristian Vasquez, Computer Science (he/him)
Cristian Vasquez is a Computer Science and Engineering major and a first-generation college student. He is an active member of the MESA program and the Business and Entrepreneurship Club, where he is passionate about helping others who are navigating their journey into STEM. Drawing from his own experience of feeling lost and needing guidance in the STEM field, Cristian is dedicated to providing support, opportunities, and resources, especially to students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Cristian believes in breaking down barriers and creating inclusive environments where diverse perspectives can thrive. He has a deep love for all things science-related, including technology, the business side of tech, and computer science topics. In his free time, he enjoys surfing, working on projects, and staying active through workouts. Cristian is excited to continue learning and contributing to the SLI/MESA community.
Danna Avila, Public Health Sciences (pre-med) (she/her)
Hi everyone! My name is Danna Avila, a fourth year Foothill student majoring in Public
Health Sciences. I was a leadership fellow for the Pre-STEM summer institute last
year where I found my love for helping out first-generation students like myself!
As a member of the SLI STEM Impact Team I hope to make an impact on first-generation/
low-income/ undocumented to continue on with their education.
Fernanda Aboytes, Biology (she/her)
Fernanda is a third-year Bio major at Foothill.
Krizza Shae Millare, Biology (she/her)
Krizza Shae C Millare is a proud Filipina immigrant who embarked on her college journey at Foothill College in 2020 while working as a full-time medical assistant. During her time here, she was offered admission to Stanford University for a Stanford Summer Session Pilot Program 2022. This opportunity reignited her resolve to pursue a career in medicine. Hence, she is majoring in AST Biology.
Her proudest achievement to date is winning the RSLS Judge’s Award 2023. Her award-winning research, focused on regenerative medicine, was conducted during her participation in the SLI Winter Micro-internship 2023 at the Interventional Radiology Innovation at Stanford Laboratory.
In her leisure time, Krizza enjoys watching Korean dramas and anime series. She cherishes moments spent walking with her mom and siblings. Exploring the world is one of her life goals.
Paulina Cabral, Data Science & Mathematics (she/her)
Hi! My name is Paulina Cabral and I am pursuing a major in Data Science. I was one of the SLI summer interns in 2024 and I enjoyed the many friendships and connections I was able to form from it. I also like reading and drawing in my free time, and I have a kick for math. As part of SLI impact team I hope to bring diversity and growth to STEM while simultaneously forming new friendships!
Click here to find out more about the 2021-22 inaugural STEM Impact Team. They laid an important foundation for the team's work, and SLI could not have done it with them!
Questions?
I'm Here to Help!
Sophia Kim, SLI Director
650.949.7455
Bldg 4400, Office 4408