History

Summer Search North San Francisco Bay was initiated in 1998 thanks to a $100,000 grant from the MacDonnell Foundation, who wanted to bring this resource to the expanding yet underserved Latino population. In 2006, Summer Search provided life-changing programs and services to 75 deserving students from Napa, Sonoma, and Northern Marin counties with a growing base of 225 alumni.

2006 was a landmark year for North San Francisco Bay:

• Seven new schools for a total of 27 referring schools.
  
• 25% more sophomores vs. 2005.
  
• 95% successfully completed their challenging summer programs.
  
• 100% of seniors went to college - 94% were the first generation in their families to do so!

Staff

Jessica Vibberts, Executive Director
Cristina Ramirez, Associate Director
Joni Bissell, College and Financial Aid Advisor
Cazzie Brown, Outreach Coordinator
Ryan Cooney, Program Associate
Xuan-Vu Nguyen, Regional Alumni Coordinator
Lindsey Roark, Program Associate
Elisabeth Vodicka, Program Associate
Kelly Forester, Development and Operations Associate

Jessica Vibberts, Executive Director
Jessica Vibberts was born and raised in the foothills of Northern California. She is a first generation college graduate with a BA in Gender Studies and Sociology from Sonoma State University. After college, Jessica ran the Prevention Education/Community Outreach Department at United Against Sexual Assault of Sonoma County, where she developed a comprehensive Prevention Education curriculum for youth that became widely used in Sonoma County schools. From 2000-2002 she sat on a countywide council for teen health. In 2001, Jessica was a counselor and guest presenter at an NCCJ Camp Anytown Conference. In 2002, Jessica joined Summer Search as a mentor and became the Executive Director in December 2005. In her first year as director, Jessica led the office in the initial stage of a strategic growth plan to comprehensively serve the under-represented areas of the North Bay.

Cristina Ramirez, Associate Director
Cristina was born in San Francisco. She has a BA in Psychology and an Ethnic studies certificate from University of San Francisco, and a Masters in Social Work from San Jose State, with an emphasis in schools and special education. Most recently, she worked as a clinical social worker in the community-based agency, La Clinica de la Raza, with children, youth, adults and their families. Cristina first learned about the strength and uniqueness of Summer Search through her brother’s experiences. Now as an Associate Director, she is immersed in Summer Search's intensive mentoring methods for our high school students. Cristina also connects students to other non-profits who specialize in immigration and health resources.

Joni Bissell, College and Financial Aid Advisor
Joni was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She graduated from Wells College, New York with a BA in Art History. After graduation, she went to Arizona to work at Arcosanti, Paolo Soleri's architectural experiment in planned communities. For the past twenty-six years, Joni has lived with her husband, Ted, in Mill Valley, where they have raised three sons--Owen, Evan, and Eric. She has served on local boards, as well as volunteered extensively for Marin schools and the community. Joni has been involved with Summer Search as a volunteer for almost nine years. She joined the staff as college advisor in 2003, recently earning her College Advisor and Career Planning Certification from University of California, Berkeley. In addition to advising students on college applications and financial aid, she is also learning the complex process of mentoring.

Cazzie Brown, Outreach Coordinator
Cazzie Brown has a long history with Summer Search. In 1997, she was accepted into the program as a high-school student and traveled to Minnesota for a Russian Language Program, and to Ukraine for community service and a host-family stay. In 2004, Cazzie graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Redlands, as a first-generation college graduate. She studied within the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies where she developed her own major in Cultural Studies and Psychology with an emphasis in creating structures for social change and personal growth. As the first Outreach Coordinator for Summer Search in the Bay Area, Cazzie brings a background in social justice work and in the non-profit community. Before joining Summer Search, Cazzie worked as a Senior Case Manager at the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking in Los Angeles, and most recently at the Fulfillment Fund, a college access and mentoring organization for inner city youth also in Los Angeles.

Ryan Cooney, Program Associate
Ryan was born and raised in Mill Valley, California. He graduated from Tamalpais High School in 1999, and continued on to California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California on a partial baseball scholarship. Ryan graduated in 2003 with a Bachelors Degree in Sociology and realized his passion for helping others, especially youth, through his many volunteer experiences during college. Ryan is passionate about helping kids see their full potential and being a positive role model in their lives and strives to create equal opportunities for all kids. This in turn led him to Summer Search. After college, Ryan began working with kids in all levels of the public school system, including Elementary and Middle School and at the Junior College level. Most recently, Ryan worked in ESL classes at Mill Valley Middle School and served as the assistant baseball coach at College of Marin. He is excited to be a new member of our team, and to have a positive impact on the lives of Summer Search students.

Xuan-Vu Nguyen, Regional Alumni Coordinator
Xuan-Vu was born in Viet Nam and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. Her passion for stories and language led her to Amherst College where she earned a BA in English with a focus on American Ethnic Literature. Thereafter, she pursued a Master in Secondary English Teaching and Curriculum from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. Xuan-Vu moved to the Bay Area after graduate school to teach English at a reform high school in Fremont. Most recently, she taught English Language and civic participation skills to Bay Area immigrant adults. Throughout her life, Xuan-Vu has cared deeply about and worked closely with disenfranchised youth and adults to enable them to take full advantage of their rights and responsibilities as well as tap into their personal identities for strength. Xuan-Vu joined Summer Search in May 2007 as the Regional Alumni Coordinator for the San Francisco, North Bay, and Silicon Valley offices.    

Lindsey Roark, Program Associate
Lindsey Roark grew up in Grass Valley, California, a small town at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. She attended UC Davis and graduated with a B.A. in Communication and Art Studio. During her time in Davis, Lindsey developed a strong sense of leadership and teamwork as a member of the UC Davis softball team, helping to lead them to a National Championship in 2003. For four years Lindsey worked with youth for the City of Davis in their Outdoor Education Program before moving to Sonoma County to attend graduate school. Lindsey studied Organization Development at Sonoma State University and graduated with a Masters of Psychology in 2007. Looking for a position where she could help students learn to make meaningful and sustainable changes in their lives, Lindsey was delighted to find Summer Search. Lindsey is thrilled to combine both her studies and passion for empowering youth here at Summer Search in the North Bay.

Elisabeth Vodicka, Program Associate
Elisabeth was born and raised in northern Wisconsin.  As a sophomore in high school, she participated in a three week home stay program in Costa Rica, an experience that sparked her passion for cultures and peoples worldwide, pushed her to overcome personal and cultural limitations, and inspired future travel through Latin America and Europe. During college, she taught ESL classes, worked for Latino/a-centered organizations and volunteered with a variety of youth-oriented programs.  In 2005, she graduated from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Sociology and Latin American Studies. Post-graduation, Elisabeth worked as an Event Coordinator for the American Cancer Society and in project management for a healthcare marketing company. Most recently, she has worked with youths in a research capacity with a public health study through the University of Illinois. Elisabeth is excited to help Summer Search students gain access to similar life-changing experiences in her new program associate role.

Kelly Forester , Development and Operations Associate
Kelly Forester grew up in Northern New Jersey. She graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in History. After college, she worked in nonprofit healthcare in Boston, first for a startup managed care organization and then for a local community hospital. During her tenure there, the hospital was forced to shut its doors after 100 years. This sad turn of events reinforced her interest in healthcare and social service reform in general. She moved to the West Coast to earn a Masters in Public Administration at the University of Southern California. Most recently, Kelly recently worked in major gift fundraising at the University of California, Berkeley. She is excited to build local support for Summer Search North San Francisco Bay as it expands to serve increasing numbers of deserving low-income high-school students.