“I think of CCATE as almost like a tree. Rooted in the community and drawing strength from everybody around it.”
At CCATE everyone teaches and everyone learns: our students include children and family members, our teachers include children and family members, and volunteers may teach a class and also take one.
Staff
Obed Arango
Executive Director
Obed Arango Hisijara is a Mexican photographer, visual artist, anthropologist, journalist, university professor, and media producer. He holds an MA in Cultural Anthropology and a BA in Communications. His area of expertise is Latin America: a beautiful land full of life, promise, and beautiful people, whose essence he sees, captures, and shares through the depth of his voice and the artistic expression of his photojournalistic pieces.
Holly Link, PhD
Director of Educational Programs and Research
A former bilingual teacher, she is also an educational consultant in the fields of English as a Second Language and Dual-Language Education. At CCATE, she is developing a participatory research center for young people and adults through which they can promote social transformation and inform public policy. Her research on Latinx students and schooling has been published in the Harvard Educational Review, the American Educational Research Journal, and the Journal of Latinos and Education.
Caitlin Brady
Manager of Outreach & After School Education
Caitlin Brady is an educator, artist, and environmental justice advocate. She connected with CCATE in the autumn of 2016 when she began volunteering as a co-teacher of gardening and environmental education. Caitlin earned a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University and Millersville University and studied abroad at the Institute of MesoAmerican Permaculture where she pursued interdisciplinary studies in environmental science, agriculture, conservation and more. She joined the staff in 2021 and became a part of growing the dreams of the community.
Chang Li
Development Coordinator
Chang graduated with a Master of Science in Social Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. Her research has concentrated on media studies, racial equity, and public policy. She commenced her role at CCATE in October 2022 and has since made contributions in the realm of research, grant writing, and digital communication. Chang also volunteered her time to teach coding, yoga, and mindfulness. Her dedication makes her an invaluable team member at CCATE. Her popularity resonates within our community.
Lupita Barrientos
High School Program Advisor
Lupita is an Educational Linguistics PhD student and Research Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. As a former K-2 dual language bilingual teacher, she is passionate about equitable education opportunities for racialized bilingual students. Lupita supports CCATE youth in developing their post-secondary plans and, as researchers, changemakers y revolucionaries, in investigating issues that matter to them and improving the institutions meant to serve them.
Board of Directors
Rev. Angel Pagán
Chair
Rev. Angel Pagan served for twenty years as an accountant for corporations and non – profit organizations, most recently in the American Baptist Home Mission Society (ABHMS). He is currently the senior pastor of the Lower Merion Baptist Church, PA., and accepted the Chair position at CCATE with joy. Rev. Pagan brought the vision to expand CCATE’s financial capacity, bring partners, and find a permanent home where CCATE can project for the next 20 years. Rev. Pagan is from a Puerto Rican background and grew up in the Bronx, New York. He has an M.Div degree from Eastern University.
Mirna Zaragoza
Treasurer
Mirna Zaragoza is native from Puebla, Mexico, and a professional financial specialist. She graduated from the Instituto Politécnico Nacional of Mexico City.
Mrs. Zaragoza works at Pfizer Inc. Campus College Ville as Senior Information Technology Auditor. She brings to CCATE corporate experience and an important partnership with CRG Latino group of Pfizer Inc.
Ingrid Van Wormer Sandorff
Voting Member
Ingrid was born and raised in Venezuela with dual-citizenship of the United States and Venezuela and received a Bachelor in Architecture, Cum Laude, from UNIVERSIDAD RAFEAL URDANETA in Maracaibo, Venezuela.
After graduating she moved to the US to work as an Architect in ARQUITECTONICA INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION in Miami. In the role she worked as part of a team to develop schematic designs, design development documents & construction documents for large-scale structures including hotels, condominiums, sport facilities, museums and commercial centers. She also developed designs for national and international competitions, and proposals for architectural presentations and Shadowed product managers at city meetings and site visits to discuss outstanding approval issues.
Ingrid joined to CCATE in the year 2019 assisting the architecture class and she is member of the CCATE’s Plaza Latinoamericana y del Caribe subcommittee, her expertise will guide us in the process to make the plaza at the new building of CCATE.
Dr. Catherine Bartch
Voting Member
Catherine Bartch is the Associate Director of Latin American and Latinx Studies Program at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research interests include Latin American politics, democratic theory, civic education and participation, international development and identity politics. She recently completed her dissertation examining how university based civic education initiatives could educate for a participatory democracy, and she is currently expanding these research interests to the Latin American region. Bartch receieved her Ph.D in Political Science from Temple University.
Dr. Tulia Falleti
Voting Member
Tulia Falleti is the Class of 1965 Endowed Term Professor of Political Science, Director of the Latin American and Latino Studies Program, and Senior Fellow of the Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. Falleti earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University.
Dr. Falleti brings to CCATE opportunities to our students top open the perspective for college opportunities as is the OAS model in partnership with the Organization of American States.
Dr. Marian Vidaurri
Voting Member
Dr. Marian Vidaurri serves as an advisor to the Secretary for Strengthening Democracy of the OAS. Before working in multilateralism, she was Director of Political Studies at FUSADES (El Salvador) and worked as a journalist and in academia in Central America. Dr. Vidaurri has studied at Cornell University, the University of Oxford, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, her example and words encouraged communities to organize to create sustainable democracy and inspired the Mural “Voices of Peace and Social Transformation” painted by fifty-two CCATE – 21st CCLC Students at the Norristown Area High School. Marian brings to CCATE an international vision, international exposure, and opportunities to our students such as the Penn model OAS program. Marian constantly encourages the CCATE community to continue being roots that transform the world.
Dr. Lisa Rodrigues
Voting Member
Dr. Lisa Rodrigues is an associate professor at Villanova University’s Department of Geography and the Environment. Originally from Bermuda, she co-authored Bermuda’s Country Study for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Dr. Rodrigues earned her Master’s degree from the University of Toronto in 1998, conducting fieldwork at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS). She received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2005, focusing on coral bleaching and recovery in Hawaii.
As an educator, Dr. Rodrigues teaches environmental science and ocean sciences courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels, emphasizing diversity in STEM and environmental justice. Her primary goal is to equip students with the skills to become informed global citizens, with a strong understanding of the scientific method and environmental issues.
Dr. Luis Ramirez
Voting Member
Dr. Luis Ramírez, aka Dr. Queerness, is a Latinx genderqueer psychotherapist and Executive Director of Ramírez Psychotherapy, specializing in working with queer individuals and their families. With a Doctorate in Clinical Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s from Columbia University School of Social Work, Luis has interned at the NYC LGBT Community Center and the Ackerman Institute for the Family. They have also been a doctoral fellow in the Minority Fellow Program (MFP) from the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), focusing on providing therapy and queer-affirmative clinical supervision.
Dr. Kabindra Shakya
Voting Member
Dr. Kabindra Shakya is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Villanova University. Dr. Shakya received his Ph.D. from Rice University, Houston, Texas in 2011. He is originally from Kathmandu, Nepal. His main research interests are in Air Pollution and Environmental Health. His recently published research articles are on indoor radon levels in Pennsylvania, air and noise pollution around Philadelphia, and particulate matter exposures at underground subways in Philadelphia. He has conducted several environmental education programs at CCATE.
Faculty & Volunteer Teachers
CCATE is delighted to have each one of these faculty members as part of our family. Class offerings change each year based on our volunteers and the interests of our students.
- Obed Arango — Analogue photography and podcast instructor; Participatory Action Research assistant
- Caitlin Brady — Environmental Care and Gardening instructor
- Guadalupe Castillo — Fitness instructor
- Inés Castro — Architecture head instructor
- Elizabeth de la Cruz — Robotics and Programming instructor
- Dulce de la Luz — Creativity instructor
- Dr. Rosalva Esquivel Cote — Environmental Care and Gardening instructor
- Gary Gómez — Fitness instructor
- Reyna Hernández — Cooking instructor
- Dr. Karyn Hollis — Adult English class instructor
- Dr. Holly Link — Participatory Action Research instructor; High School advisor; Director of Educational Programs
- Diego Ledesma — Reading instructor
- Giliam Lorenzo — Environmental Care and Gardening instructor
- Diana Lugo — Artivistas adult coordinator; Plastic Arts instructor
- Marisol Martínez — Cooking instructor
- Melissa Ortiz — High School advisor
- Juan Carlos Orozco — Music instructor
- Tessi Ruiz — Reading Circle instructor; Empowerment Girls instructor
- Charlotte Stone — Empowerment Girls instructor; High School advisor
- Cristobal Vega — Art and Painting instructor
Community Leaders
Our Members
Obed Arango
Obed Arango is a Mexican immigrant living in the US since 2000. He is from Mexico City and is the father of two Mexican daughters who he teachers to never forget their language and ther cultural roots. WIth his daughters, he learned to resist the anti-immigrant environment and together they explored the principles of humanists Paulo Freire y de Martin Luther King, Jr. Following this path and with the spirit of other members of the immigrant community founded CCATE as a center for social transformation. He serves as CCATE’s Director, and also is Instructor at the University of Pennsylvania. For Obed, “CCATE is a space for us to dream and exist, and to see our faces, skin color(s) and ways of speaking as integral to our identities y dignity.”
María Guadalupe Castillo
María Guadalupe Castillo is an immigrant from Palmarito Tochapán in the state of Puebla, México. She arrived in this country 14 years ago. She has worked in office cleaning since coming to the US. She has two sons who are her reason to continue learning more every day. CCATE has given her the opportunity to be able to share her opinion or suggest different propositions. She loves to help with what she can. Her life changed when she first arrived at CCATE because she had such a need to spend time with others who spoke her language. She believes that CCATE is a truly transformative place for people, and that spending time there as a teacher, you leave your heart in everything you do there.
Horacio De La Luz Lopez
Horacio De La Luz Lopez is a Mexican from a town called San Bartolo in the state of Puebla. He has lived in the US for 20 years. He has three children and works in construction. He is a CCATE member and leader, and believes that in the CCATE community, everyone learns something new every day.
María de Lourdes Lopez Flores
María de Lourdes Lopez Flores is a Mexican woman from the state of Guerrero. She has been in the US for 18 years.She is a woman who loves her family. Her family is built on a base of love and respect. They are also her motor for fighting in this world. She works at home and with her children. She loves helping but above all, she learns from others. As a member of CCATE she can say that to to give and to receive is what motivates her to get ahead in life. She has goals and many resolutions thanks to her artistic companions.
Holly Link
Holly Link grew up mostly in Miami, FL. She identifies as a White cisgender woman with Anglo-European roots.She teaches at Temple University and the University of Pennsylvania in the School for Social Policy and Practice. She has been connected with Norristown since 2008 as a doctoral student at Penn in Educational Linguistics. She directs educational programs and research at CCATE. As a non-Latina leader, she works to acknowledge with the CCATE community how her privilege is implicated in social hierarchies and power relationships, and more broadly in the structures she works to change. Her dream and commitment is to co-research with the CCATE community. For Holly, CCATE is her second home and her primary place of learning.
Diana Lugo Martínez
Diana Lugo Martínez is proudly Mexican from Cadereyta, Querétero, and an undocumented immigrant woman who has lived in the US since 2002. Over the years, she and her partner have raised a beautiful family who are her motor for life, inspiration and strength. In the last years, her partner and children have accompanied her in what she considers is her mission, which is TO BE and to serve in CCATE. CCATE is a space that liberates, transforms, humanizes and dignifies. She firmly believes that with love, support, education and hard work, the community can work and grow together every day. At CCATE there are several mottos that have emerged from inside of our community, and she wishes to share two of them. The first is, “a talent not share is a talent wasted.” This shows how with humility and critical thinking, one can break with narratives that dehumanize the immigrant community. She comments, “at CCATE we give with our hearts, we see each other as equals amd we believe that ‘all of the knowledge of the world for and from everyone,’ is a reality. CCATE is a safe space where we are free and where we see ourselves represented as a community, and where we give welcome to everyone.”
Laura Sanchez
Laura Sanchez is Mexican immigrant from Acapulco, Guerrero, .México, She arrived in the USA 19 years ago. She has worked in restaurants, cleaned offices, and is currently a nanny for a family with three children. She is also the mother of two children, José Luís who is 21 years-old and works in the restaurant industry, and Alondra, who is 16 years-old. I love them and we are CCATE. CCATE is an incredibly marvelous place. It’s a place where we come together to learn and collaborate with a lot of love, with extremely intelligent and talented people. Moreover, CCATE is where we discover our artistic talents and where we discover our love of reading and to continue learning.
Voices from Our Community
Community Voices
“Para mí, CCATE es la oportunidad de encontrar tus fortalezas y aprender, sin importar tu edad. Si me hubieras preguntado antes del 2013 cuando comencé en CCATE si me viera dirigiendo clases aquí, habría dicho de ninguna manera. Si no fuera por CCATE y el apoyo de las familias y niños, no habría tenido la confianza para hacer todo esto y aprender tanto de la comunidad. CCATE no solo ha sido una oportunidad para mi crecimiento personal, sino que incluso me ha permitido conocer a amigos para toda la vida, así como a mi prometido, Cristóbal. En CCATE, siempre existe la oportunidad de ser un líder y es un lugar increíble para crecerse.”
“For me, CCATE is the ability to find your strengths and to learn, no matter your age. If you would have asked me before 2013 when I started at CCATE if I saw myself in so many roles here, I would have said no way. If it wasn’t for CCATE and the encouragement of the families and kids, I would not have had the confidence to do all of this and to learn so much from the community. CCATE has not only been an opportunity for personal growth, but it has even allowed me to meet lifelong friends as well as my fiancé, Cristobal. At CCATE, there is always an opportunity to be a leader and it is an amazing place for growth.”
– Tessi Ruiz (maestra del círculo de lectura, facilitadora del grupo de chicas y entrenadora de los equipos de fútbol)
“Debemos tener disciplina y seguir trabajando duro para lograr nuestros sueños. Para mí, CCATE no es solo una oportunidad para crear artistas, sino también grandes seres humans con mucho amor y humildad hacia la comunidad. Trabajamos como un equipo para lograr nuestros objetivos. Al ofrecer actividades que los estudiantes no tienen en la escuela, ellos pueden aprender y probar cosas nuevas.”
“We must have discipline and keep working hard to accomplish our dreams. For me, CCATE is an opportunity to not only create artists, but great humans with love and humility. We work as a team to achieve our goals. By offering activities that they aren’t in school, our students are able to try and learn new things.”
– Juan Carlos (maestro de música)