William is the director of the Neighborhood Partnership Program (NPP) at Â鶹ƵµÀ. As director, he oversees a robust college access program that works in collaboration with the Los Angeles Unified School District’s GEAR UP 4 LA program. As a GEAR UP alum himself, William has over ten years of experience with GEAR UP programs as both a student and a staff member. As a proponent of educational equity, William believes that every single student should have the opportunity to participate in post-secondary education. Growing up in the Northeast Los Angeles neighborhood of Highland Park, he is no stranger to Â鶹ƵµÀ. As a GEAR UP student at Franklin High School, William visited the campus on numerous occasions. Moreover, William is a graduate of California State University, Northridge (CSUN) where he majored in both journalism and Chicana/o Studies. Additionally, he is currently a graduate student at CSUN pursuing his Master of Arts degree in Diverse Community Development and Leadership.