Ketzali Maciel-Jimenez (she/her/ella)

Office Programs & Initiatives Graduate Assistant

Ketzali is a first-year graduate student in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business. She serves as a Graduate Assistant with the Office of Culture and Institutional Excellence (CIX), where she supports student programming, event coordination, and the CIX intern team. As the founder of Caminos Compartidos, Ketzali is passionate about creating spaces where first-generation, transfer, and historically underserved students feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive. Grounded in community, empathy, and equity-minded leadership, she is committed to nurturing meaningful connections and creating opportunities that strengthen students’ sense of belonging and success. 

Emilia Miyage S. Datuin (she/her/siya)

Student Success Graduate Fellow 

Emilia Miyage S. Datuin is a first-year graduate student in the Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs program at Cal Poly. Within CIX, Emilia serves as the Student Success Graduate Fellow where she supports planning, facilitating, and assessing student programs across HSI, BSSI, and AANHPI Initiatives. As a proud Filipina, former transfer student, and BEACoN alum, Emilia is dedicated to strengthening student services; promoting students’ academic, professional, and personal success; and fostering a greater sense of belonging at Cal Poly.  

Outside of CIX, Emilia is the Administrative Support Assistant in the Psychology and Child Development Department within the College of Liberal Arts. 

Paige Blankenship

Office Programs and Black Student Success Initiatives  

Paige Blankenship is a third-year honors student double majoring in Philosophy with a concentration in Ethics & Society and Ethnic Studies, with minors in Queer Studies and Indigenous Studies in Natural Resources. Within CIX, Paige supports the Black Student Success Initiative by helping develop actionable items that enhance the experience of Black students at Cal Poly. Dedicated to this mission, they are also the President of the Black Student Union, a student assistant in Kennedy Library's Special Archives and Collections, and a member of the CLA Student Diversity Committee. 

Subha Eranki (she/her/hers)

Office Programs and Communications 

Subha is a fourth-year Graphic Communication student with a concentration in User Experience/User Interface and a minor in Entrepreneurship. As a Communications Intern, she assists with various marketing and communication campaigns as well as maintaining the CIX website.  

Outside of CIX, Subha is a Digital Designer for Mustang News and manages the .wavzine website. She is passionate about providing a sense of belonging to all students across campus and is excited to contribute to CIX’s initiatives this year. 

Erandy Daniella Fernandez-Ortiz (she/her/ella)

OFFICE PROGRAMS & HISPANIC-SERVING INSTITUTION INITIATIVES 

Erandy is a third-year student majoring in Experience Industry Management, Comparative Ethnic Studies, and Spanish. Previously, she served as CIX’s ASI Liaison, connecting CIX and ASI Student Government through shared updates and collaboration. She now supports CIX’s ongoing Hispanic-Serving Institution initiatives and brings prior experience from serving on the HSI Student Advisory Board. 

Outside of CIX, Erandy serves as President of the EIM Club and Secretary of University Affairs on ASI Student Government’s Executive Cabinet. She is passionate about advocating for students and helping create a more equitable, student-centered campus.

Amirah Nalani Gutierrez (she/her)

Office Programs & Communications

Amirah is a forth-year Journalism major from San Diego, concentrating in Public Relations, with minors in Ethnic Studies and Media Arts Society and Technology (MAST). In CIX, she serves as the Communication Support Intern, assisting with marketing and promotional materials for CIX. She is passionate about providing equitable access to resources to underrepresented communities in higher education and beyond.

She is excited to represent the CIX mission and work alongside the office’s initiative this year.

Ashley Villanueva (she/her/hers)

Office Programs & BEACoN RESEARCH Program

Ashley is a 2nd year Political Science major with a concentration in Global Politics and a minor in Law & Society. Within CIX, she serves as the BEACoN Research Program Intern, supporting undergraduate research, student engagement and outreach efforts that foster inclusive opportunities across campus.  

Outside of CIX, Ashley is a Public Engagement intern with the City of SLO where she assists in spreading awareness and increasing public engagement for the upcoming change in the city’s voting system. Ashley is passionate about ensuring that all individuals, such as those that come from underrepresented communities, have equal access to resources that will help them succeed in the future. Ashley is excited to represent the CIX mission.  

Jamie Lam (she/her/hers)

Office Programs & Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Initiatives 

Jamie is a second-year Business Administration major. Within CIX, she serves as the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Initiatives Intern. She is dedicated to expanding the AANHPI initiatives program through creating spaces and experiences that will make a lasting impact.  

Beyond her work at CIX, Jamie is serving as the Vice President of Cal Poly’s Korean American Student Association (KASA), a member of Chinese Student Association (CSA), and is the Outreach Intern for Asian American & Pacific Islanders of San Luis Obispo County (AAPI SLO). She is passionate about creating an inclusive, comfortable, and welcoming environment for everyone at Cal Poly and San Luis Obispo. 

Hayes Lao (they/them/theirs)

Office Programs & Communications

Hayes Lao is a third-year undergraduate student completing a B.S. in Graphic Communication with a concentration in User Experience/User Interface and minors in Ethnic Studies, Religious Studies, and Queer Studies. They are passionate about fostering belonging for underrepresented communities, as well as making education and information accessible through design. As a Communications Intern, they coordinate marketing and materials for events, social media, and further engagement in CIX initiatives. 

Outside of their work for CIX, Hayes continues to serve the campus community as a board member of many clubs including Transgender & Queer Student, Hack4Impact, and the Cal Poly Technical Association of Graphic Arts. 

Moriah Noelle Riggs (she/her/hers)

Office Programs & event planning and logistics

Moriah is an Organizational Sociology senior and first-generation college student from Anaheim, CA. Her work focuses on the intersection between successful business practices and championing people-first cultures, mirroring her values of growth and belonging. 

Within CIX, Moriah supports the execution of high-impact, University-wide programming. Beyond the department, Moriah has served in the City of San Luis Obispo's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, contributed to Dr. Shaw's research on student interactions with AI, and pledged to over 900 hours of community service. Moriah has also worked in Student Affairs by spearheading Hospitality Operations for PolyCultural Weekend and advancing the work of cross-cultural and identity-based student centers. 

Meghana Shamarayar (she/her/hers)

Office Programs & BEACoN Research Program & AANHPI Initiatives

Meghana is a fourth-year Public Health major with a concentration in Community and Public Health. Within CIX, she serves as the BEACoN Research Liaison and the Lead Intern for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Initiatives. In her roles, she supports research engagement and cultivates a sense of community among student researchers, while also working to uplift and bring visibility to the diverse cultural clubs and identities that exist across campus.

Beyond her work at CIX, Meghana is a member of Cal Poly’s Bollywood fusion dance team and contributes to research in Dr. Ventura’s lab, which focuses on maternal device use and child development. She is passionate about empowering student communities and hopes to one day work for the United Nations in a role that advances global equity and public health.

Anna Schoeller (she/her/hers)

Office Programs & EVENt planning and logistics

Anna is a third-year Business Administration student concentrating in accounting. Within CIX, she serves as an Event Planning and Logistics Intern, helping bring the events planned by the office to life. She is passionate about creating spaces where everyone feels welcome and included. 

Outside of CIX, Anna serves as a Career Peer Advisor for the OCOB Career Readiness Center and as the Director of Logistics for Defining Her Future, a student run conference.