2025 Equity Champion Awards

This year's Equity Champions will be honored at an event on Wednesday, June 11, from 2-3:30 p.m. in Conference Rooms A&B of the Campus Center.

And the winners are ...

Please read below to see why each of these winners is an equity champion!



Matsuko Estrada Nakamatsu – Student

Matsuko Estrada Nakamatsu

Matsuko is a third-year English and Humanities major whose work with HEFAS, the ESL Club and DASG has centered undocumented, low-income and first-generation students. As a mixed Peruvian-Okinawan immigrant, she founded a nonprofit resource center from her home to uplift students who, like her, come from the margins. Through storytelling, advocacy and community, Matsuko continues to break generational chains and redefine what leadership looks like.



Jamie Pelusi – Faculty Member

Jamie PelusiJamie Pelusi is a queer educator, artist and community worker who's been faculty coordinator of De Anza's Pride Center since it opened in 2022. They've been working in education, service-learning (locally and internationally) and community-based arts for the past 15 years.  The central throughline in their work is a passion for supporting students and creating spaces for them to be their full and authentic selves.  They humbly walk in the footsteps of all the amazing organizers and educators who came before them and are working to continue to ensure that De Anza is a campus that supports, uplifts and fully recognizes the amazing spirit of our 2SLGBTQIA+ community.



Shaila Ramos-Garcia – Classified Professional

Shaila Ramos-GarciaShaila Ramos-García is the undocumented student support and UndocuSTEM program coordinator and co-founder of HEFAS. She is a culture maker, activist, poet, educator and leader within the immigrant community. For the last 16 years, she has dedicated her career to become an equity practitioner and expert on higher education access for undocumented students. She believes in fighting for social justice and leading from a place of empathy.



Lydia Hearn – Administrator

Lydia HearnLydia Hearn has served in a variety of administrative and faculty roles over her past 25 years at De Anza – including interim vice president of Instruction, interim associate vice president of Instruction, interim Language Arts Division dean, Puente co-coordinator, and English instructor.  In all of her roles on campus, she has kept equity at the core of her decision making and has developed programs and initiatives that help provide access and resources for students from historically underserved populations including co-founding the REACH program, reinstitutionalizing the Sankofa Scholars Program (now Umoja), being instrumental in the creation of a Pride Center, securing space for the Ethnic and Pride Inclusion Center in the new Services for Students Building, co-developing Guided Pathways Villages, and co-developing professional development opportunities for employees that amplify students' voices.



Higher Education for AB 540 Students (HEFAS) – Program

HEFAS students raising fistsHEFAS was started for and by students in 2012. Ever since, HEFAS students have been leaders in advocacy, access and education regarding undocumented student support in higher education. HEFAS students have started new programs such as UndocuSTEM, planned yearly conferences and events, provided resources and advocated for student rights and needs. Their power lies in their resilience in the face of fear and challenges: Undocumented and Unafraid!


Award Criteria

We recognize that there are multiple ways of demonstrating commitment to these values. The following are examples of ways that nominees may exemplify their commitment to equity:

  • Promoting a deeper understanding of equity by advancing best practices in their respective office or program
  • Exhibiting leadership qualities in their work through collaboration, courageous conversations, inclusion through an intersectional lens, and fosters accountability.
  • Prioritizes student needs and advocates for systemic and institutional change to address them to ensure equitable opportunities.
  • Serves as a creative and equity-minded decision-maker in the shared governance process
  • Fosters practices that help bridge the student equity gaps

The individual or team being nominated should also embody the spirit and principles reflected in the above criteria.

For more information, please contact EquityOffice@deanza.edu or 408-864-5636.


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