DENNIS
SANTIAGO
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Dennis currently serves as the college preparation programs advisor and administrative representative to the Student Initiated Outreach Committee where he works with seven project coordinators and the student staff to develop and execute quality college preparation programs for at-risk youth in Southern California to assist them with their access to higher education. The seven projects housed in the Student Initiated Outreach Center provide one-on-one tutoring, mentoring, and other developmental workshops and programs at middle schools, high schools, and community centers. Dennis also participates in the UC Student Initiated Programs Committee, which is a UC-wide effort to share best practices in student-initiated outreach and access work across the UC system.
Dennis, originally from Oakland, Calif., studied Anthropology at Diablo Valley Community College and transferred to UCLA where he studied Anthropology with a concentration in Afro-American and Asian American Studies. Dennis received his master of arts in student affairs within the department of education at UCLA.
Prior to being a student at UCLA, Dennis worked for the United Parcel Service as an operation supervisor. After his graduation, Dennis worked in various roles, including with Bank of America where he served as a tax remittance processor; founder and assistant academic coordinator for the Berkeley High School Student Learning Center; residential treatment counselor for Youth Homes, Inc.; and as a foster care social worker intern for the McKinley Children’s Center. In 2014, Dennis returned to UCLA to work with the Community Programs Office. Initially, Dennis served in the role of graduate student intern but was soon promoted to Office Manager/Internship Director. Dennis later transitioned from this role to become CPO’s Social Worker Assistant and also worked on various departmental efforts, including those related to the Community Programs Office’s initiative on encouraging high school students across Los Angeles to apply to UCLA. He also served as the CPO’s Community Service Advisor where he worked with students to develop and implement 30 community programs aimed at providing support in the areas of health, education and social justice in Southern California.
As a student leader, Dennis was a general member of the Afrikan Student Union, Samahang Pilipino, Pilipino Transfer Student Partnership, Vietnamese Student Union’s SEA CLEAR mentorship program, and as arts and activism coordinator with the Critical Asian Pacific Islander Students for Action (CAPSA). Dennis was also involved as a tutor in the Community Based Learning Program.