Patricia Aleman
Patricia owns Aleman State Farm Insurance and Financial Services in Atwater Village, serving the greater Los Angeles area and Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. She is very active in Atwater Village's community volunteer activities, including the Atwater Village Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber's Christmas Tree Lighting Committee. Patricia's other activities include Advisory Board Member, Optimist Youth Home; Member, National Association of Insurance & Financial Advisors; on the Chairman's Council of the Personal Insurance Federation; and Member, the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce and the Glendale Kiwanis-Advisory Board. Patricia received her B.A. from Scripps College, Claremont Colleges in International Relations.
Hank Castillo, President
Hank is the president and founder of his company, Hankster, Inc., specializing in working with non-profit organizations, grant writing, and special events. Hank helped found the Lincoln Heights Dollars for Scholars Chapter and has been active in the California Dollars for Scholars.
Stefani Collier
Stefani Collier rejoined the LHDFS team in 2024, previously serving on the board from 2007 to 2018. She is grateful to have been invited back to support students in Lincoln Heights as they work towards their future
Stefani grew up in Boyle Heights and graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1988, where her mother, aunts, and sisters also attended. She earned her B.A. in English and M.A. in French through Cal State University and taught English, French, and Dance at SHHS until leaving in 2011. She continued her teaching career at Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, during which time she was also a board member of the SHHS Alumnae Association.
In 2018, she moved to Virginia and continues to teach French. On the East Coast, she works with her mother, sisters, and fellow Comets who live in Virginia and Maryland to begin an East Coast chapter of the SHHS Alumnae Association. Stefani enjoys practicing and teaching yoga, traveling the world, and spending time with loved ones.
Naomi Cornejo
Naomi is a native Angelina and a high school Reading and Life Skills teacher. She enjoys learning about her students every day and teaching them the joy of reading and learning. She graduated from Mount St. Mary's College (now a university) in Los Angeles in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Spanish and a minor in Religious Studies. She enjoys dabbling in writing Haikus, mostly narrative poems, and attending poetry readings. She also has a deep love for playing softball since childhood and has played in an adult league for the past eight years. Naomi has visited 14 countries and hopes to continue traveling the world someday and visit Portugal and Japan.
Carmen Diaz, Publicity Chair
A native Angelino, Carmen has extensive administrative experience, including Senior Utility Manager at the L.A. Department of Water and Power; Assistant Director and Senior Grant Administrator for the City of L.A., and Client Services Manager for the California Power Exchange. Carmen's work with youth includes advising at the Los Angeles Job Corps and supervising youth development in the Youth Opportunity Program. Carmen attended Sacred Heart High School and has remained active in Alumnae Association Activities for over 30 years. She holds a BA in Sociology from Immaculate Heart College and completed graduate work in Urban Studies at USC.
On the LH Dollars for Scholars Board since 2005, Carmen serves as Publicity Chair.
Alessandra was born and raised in Los Angeles and graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 2014. After high school, she relocated to San Francisco State University, where she graduated with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing.
Alessandra is a project manager for Shea Family Charities, where she oversees the modernizations and improvements of elementary and high schools in LA County, Orange County, and Houston, TX. She has a passion for promoting higher education and giving back to her community.
Beatrice Gee, Treasurer
Beatrice is a retired CPA. She has a BS in Accounting from Cal State LA and an MBA from USC. Her professional accounting experience has been in corporate accounting (over 25 years) and five years in the nonprofit sector (assistant controller for Total Education Solutions). Beatrice's sister and longtime LH DFS board member, Eva Gee, was an officer at Phillips Draperies until her passing.
Beatrice joined the Board in 2018 and serves as Treasurer.
Violet Gonzalez, Vice President
Violet Gonzalez is a testament to the power of determination and hard work. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles amidst a bustling family of six siblings, Violet navigated the challenges of being an immigrant and learning English while attending Gates Street Elementary School. Her journey led her to graduate from Abraham Lincoln High School before earning a degree from UCLA with the help of scholarships, an experience that instilled in her a deep appreciation for the impact of financial assistance in underserved communities.
After graduating from UCLA, Violet embarked on a dynamic career in Communications and Marketing, spanning both the private and public sectors. She began her career in advertising and partnership development at La Opinion and Tribune Publishing. Her diverse professional journey includes roles at organizations such as Sony Pictures, Live Nation/House of Blues Concerts, and EMI/Capitol Records. Transitioning to pivotal roles in the non-profit sector at First 5 LA and L.A. Care.
Driven by her firsthand experiences, Violet is dedicated to giving back to her community, serving as a board member for the Lincoln Heights Dollars for Scholars. Her commitment to supporting aspiring graduates reflects her belief in the transformative impact of education.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Violet finds joy in a variety of interests. Whether she's attending concerts, exploring new travel destinations, delving into a good book, immersing herself in nature, whipping up culinary creations, or enjoying movie nights, Violet embraces life's adventures with enthusiasm. She currently resides in Mt. Washington with her husband.
Eduardo Pierrez
Eduardo was raised in East Los Angeles and graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a degree in Business Economics. Eduardo has a deep passion for promoting education and serving his community. He is a board member of Latin American Cinemateca Los Angeles, an organization focused on promoting Latin American Cinema and youths' passion for filmmaking. Eduardo also volunteers for School on Wheels, tutoring students experiencing homelessness.
Gene Snook, Secretary
Gene, a native of Newton, Iowa, graduated from Iowa State University with a major in Journalism. He is self-employed and lives in the Silver Lake area. Gene is the chapter secretary and helps with the newsletter The Scholar and the LH Dollars for Scholars ChapterNet website.
Luz Vivas
Luz is the Vice Principal of Sacred Heart High School in Lincoln Heights. Born and raised in Lincoln Heights, Luz is the oldest of three children. Luz's parents emigrated from Mexico and settled in Los Angeles, where she attended Our Lady Help of Christians School in Lincoln Heights and later Sacred Heart High School. Due to economic reasons, Luz transferred to public school, and after graduation, Luz attended Mount St. Mary's University. At Mount St. Mary's, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with an emphasis in Education and a minor in Religious Studies, and later her Master's degree. Luz holds a California Teaching Credential and has been teaching for 16 years and served in administration for eight.
Luz enjoys spending time with her family, her husband, and two beautiful boys in her spare time.
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Buck Wong
Buck joined Lincoln Heights Dollars for Scholars over fifteen years ago. Since 1972, he has lived in Chinatown, Lincoln Heights, and Glassell Park. Buck taught math and social studies at Lincoln High School from 1982 until he retired in 2011. He also works in a non-profit called the Lincoln Heights Education Project, Inc., with programs that include the May Kishiyama Memorial Scholarship and the Lincoln High Mentoring Project. As a person who received college scholarships, Buck thinks that Dollars for Scholars affords him the opportunity to give back.
