Staff

Ana is a First Gen, Salvadoran-American student, raised in San Francisco’s Mission District. A proud product of SFUSD, Ana graduated from Lowell High School and later earned her B.A. in Speech and Communication from San Francisco State University. With over a decade of school site experience from working at KIPP, Ana has brought a holistic and unique perspective to her work at Breakthrough since starting in 2018. Currently pursuing her M.A. in Equity and Social Justice Education, Ana is committed to using her education to empower and give back to the community, guided by the Mayan principle of In Lak’ech (you are my other me). In her free time, Ana enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband, Chris, and dog, Baxter, checking out concerts, art and craft fairs, or traveling and trying new cuisines.

Born in Guam and raised on St. Croix, USVI, and the Bay Area, Caitlin (she/they/siya) is deeply committed to basic needs advocacy, food justice and food sovereignty, and trauma-informed approaches to education. Before joining Breakthrough SF, they worked as the Behavioral Health, Wellness, and Housing Engagement Coordinator at UC Berkeley’s Public Service Center, advising and supporting undergraduate students in their community partnerships around the Bay Area. A proud first-generation transfer student, Caitlin holds a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in City & Regional Planning from UC Berkeley. During their time as an undergrad student, they were heavily involved in the Basic Needs Center as a Food Pantry Ambassador and served as a College Corps Food Justice Fellow at their community partner site Common Vision, an environmental justice nonprofit based in West Oakland. She loves coffee, the beach, and curating playlists for loved ones. She’s excited to build community and contribute to a culture of care with Breakthrough students, leaders, and staff!

Rebecca grew up in the Bay Area and earned a B.A. in Political Communications from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She began her career in government and politics and later transitioned to the nonprofit world. Prior to joining Breakthrough in 2016, Rebecca led the Children’s Fund of San Mateo County. In her free time, Rebecca enjoys spending time with her family, including her three young daughters.

Paola was born in Berkeley, California. Though she spent most of her time growing up in the Bay Area, she also lived in Fort Worth, Texas for a couple of years. She is a recent graduate of San Francisco State University, where she was a Communications major. Paola is a Breakthrough student who believes deeply in the program and its mission. She has a passion for raising awareness regarding the lack of educational opportunities for our local students. As a first generation college student herself, she sees the value of the resources the program has provided for her and is excited to help other students obtain them as well. She also hopes to continue to use her first language in order to effectively communicate with students and families that struggle to understand the English language in order to provide an equal opportunity to succeed without worrying about any language barriers. She wants to serve as the example that makes students aware that after the 8 year commitment is over, they still have a community to come back to. In her spare time, she enjoys going outdoors, exploring new places to eat, grabbing boba with friends, and spending time with her pets. 

Born and raised in San Francisco, Agnes has been a member of the Breakthrough team since 2012. Agnes attended Alice Fong Yu, a bilingual immersion school, where she developed her love for learning languages. Her passion continued to develop when she served as an ad hoc interpreter for her parents. In college at the University of California, Berkeley, Agnes served as a translator and interpreter for multiple health care organizations, including San Francisco Hep B Free. Agnes left the Bay Area and attended the University of Rochester School of Nursing and currently works as an RN at the San Francisco Department of Public Health. In her free time, Agnes loves spending quality time with friends and family, running, and traveling.

Yvania was born and raised in San Francisco. She is currently a student at City College of San Francisco. Her journey with Breakthrough began in the summer of 2016 when she joined as a student. From the start, she deeply appreciated the opportunities Breakthrough provided and found a sense of belonging unlike any other. As a student, Yvania prioritizes wellness and understands that school can be incredibly challenging. She values the importance of balance and self-care. Grateful for the support and opportunities Breakthrough has given her, she hopes to give back by helping other students find the same sense of community and encouragement. In her free time, she loves spending quality moments with friends and family, hanging out with her three dogs, and baking.

Sara was born and raised in San Francisco. She received her Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of San Francisco. Initially, Sara had dreams of working for NASA and one day, becoming an astronaut. However, after being a tutor for physics and astronomy courses, she developed her passion for education. After completing her B.S., Sara began working at Gateway Middle School as a paraprofessional and Math Interventionist. During this time, Sara completed her Masters of Art in Elementary Education and earned her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential at San Francisco State University. From there, she transitioned into the general education classroom at Gateway Middle School where she happily taught sixth-grade math and science while holding a number of educational leadership positions. Sara was an Instructional Coach at Breakthrough SF before moving into the Director of Teaching and Learning role. In her spare time, Sara enjoys reading (thrillers and mystery to be exact), watching Warriors and SF Giants games, and spending time with her two cats, Sapphire and Emmy.

Andy got introduced to Breakthrough as a Teaching Fellow in Cambridge and New York, where he grew up. He subsequently taught sixth grade math and science in Oakland as a Teach For America corps member before returning to Breakthrough as Program Director at the Cambridge site. Andy has done short-term work for The Steppingstone Foundation, Aim High, and Summer Search, where he served as an Education Pioneers Fellow. He received a B.A. in Public Policy from Brown University and was an Urban Scholars Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, receiving an Ed.M. in School Leadership. He lives in Berkeley with his family.