Staff and Ambassadors

Our Director

Lissette Garcia

Portrait of Lissette Garcia.

As a proud first-generation college graduate, Lissette brings a deeply personal understanding of the experiences and challenges faced by first-generation students. She recognizes the determination required to navigate higher education without a clear roadmap. For more than 28 years, she has worked closely with first-generation scholars through the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program, gaining a comprehensive understanding of both the challenges they encounter and the strengths they bring to their academic journeys. Lissette is deeply committed to empowering, advocating for, and supporting all first-generation scholars at Fairleigh Dickinson University as they pursue their goals and achieve lasting success.

Lissette currently serves as the Executive Director of the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Programs on both of Fairleigh Dickinson University’s New Jersey campuses. In addition, she has been an adjunct faculty member at the University since 2007. Prior to joining FDU, she worked as a certified social worker at a prenatal and family planning health center in Jersey City, New Jersey.

Our Ambassadors

  • Image of a young woman

    Nicoll Perez

  • Picture of a young man

    Bayron Duran

  • Picture of a young man

    Jonathan Juca

  • Professional headshot of a man in a gray suit with a striped tie and matching pocket square against a blue studio background.

    Aldy Lorenzo Bautista

  • A man in a striped shirt poses in front of colorful geometric panels in yellow, red, and blue tones, with a city skyline and water visible in the background from an elevated viewpoint.

    Bayron Duran

  • A man wearing glasses and a maroon Champion hoodie stands outdoors against a blue sky with clouds, photographed from below.

    Armani Otero

  • Woman in a floral dress poses on a boat with the Statue of Liberty and NYC skyline visible in the background across the water during golden hour.

    Emily Cruz

  • Student at an FDU Educational Opportunity Fund event holds three program folders while standing in front of a university banner featuring the school's swan crest logo.

    Valeria Perez Cardenas

  • A woman with dark curly hair and glasses smiles for a photo at a crowded indoor arena. They wear a black Chicago Bulls shirt and a necklace, with multiple levels of stadium seating filled with spectators and blue illuminated signage visible in the background.

    Janelis Cedeno

  • Professional headshot of a young man with short dark hair, a beard, and clear-framed glasses. He is wearing a dark gray polo shirt with the name 'L. CARRION' embroidered in white on the right chest and a white Maltese cross logo containing the number '74' on the left chest. He is smiling slightly against a solid gray studio background.

    Louie Carrion

  • Selfie of a young woman with dark braided hair in a camo jacket outdoors on a sunny winter day, with houses and a school bus visible in the background.

    Mariam Ibrahim

All first-generation FDU students are welcome to participate in all programs and activities of the Center, regardless of the student’s sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual preference or gender expression, or any other protected status under law.