Board & Staff - Para Los Niños de Highline

Meet Our Dedicated Team

Our passionate team works tirelessly for our community.

Together for Change

Board of Directors

Our dedicated team is committed to making a difference in our community. We work hard to support the families and youth we serve.

Samantha (She/her) is a first-generation Mexican-American born and raised in the Pacific Northwest.

She graduated from Western Washington University where she received her Sociology BA with a focus on race and ethnic studies.

Sam is currently an Intake Case Manager at Hopelink for their Housing and Case Management Programs, where she serves homeless and low-income communities in East and North King County.

Sam is passionate about empowering and advocating for youth and BIPOC communities through an empathetic lens.

She believes that sharing individual experiences are vital when it comes to learning how to best serve our communities. In her spare time you will find her spending time with family and friends, crafting, or playing pinball.

Bevin Taylor teaches English to speakers of other languages at Highline College.

She thoroughly enjoys learning about other languages and cultures from the adults in her classes.

In her role as an educator, Bevin’s passion is to work with students to find their own path to achieving their goals in the classroom and beyond, and she brings this same passion to her work with Para Los Niños.

Originally from Valdivia, a college town in southern Chile and has been living in the Seattle area since 2018.

She earned her B.A. in Business Administration from Universidad Austral de Chile, a Master of Finance from Universidad de Chile, and a Certificate in Marketing from UC Berkeley.

Currently she is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Business Impact NW, a nonprofit economic development organization.

Being the daughter of university professors, Carolina highly values education. Para Los Niños mission to foster academic success for Latino students resonates with her own mission.

She knows how important that success has been to her life.

Alexander Finale is a first-generation Cuban American who was born and raised in East Los Angeles, California.

His parents fled communist Cuba in the late 1960’s and managed to send all three children to College. He is fluent in both English and Spanish.

Alex holds a master’s degree in Architecture from the University of New Mexico and has over 20 years of design and construction experience with companies such as Los Alamos National Labs, Intel, Globalfoundries, and Facebook.

He is also a licensed architect in the state of Washington and a member of the American Institutes of Architects.

His interest in the Board of Para Los Niños stems from a desire to share his experiences and to serve other Latin Americans who aspire to attain higher education or professional vocation.

Virginia Herrera-Páramo comes to Para Los Niños from El Puerto de Veracruz, México.

She has worked with our communities in King and Pierce counties for the past 20 years.

Her work expands a variety of roles and capacities, such as storyteller, peer literacy worker, doula, family advocate, community liaison, health promoter, breastfeeding consultant, and community health worker.

Her emphasis has always been to promote cultural diversity in the King & Pierce County area. Write an email to Virginia.

Interested in Becoming a Board member?

Board Member Application

Get to Know Our Team

Benny

Early Learning Specialist

Benny was born in Mexico City. In the year 2000 she entered the UPIBI (Interdisciplinary Professional Unit of Biotechnology) of the IPN (National Polytechnic Institute of Mexico), but a change in her life made her discover her true vocation and she began to study for her Bachelor’s degree in Pedagogy, graduating in 2005 with a Specialty in Educational Evaluation.

She worked as a preschool and primary teacher until 2015 when she had to emigrate to the United States with her husband and their 2 children.

In January 2016, she came to live in the State of Washington and since then she has been a volunteer in different non-profit organizations.

She believes that children learn best through practice and play because, through appropriate activities, they are able to develop their age-appropriate sensory, cognitive, and motor skills.

Gaby

Operations Manager

Originally from Jalisco, Mexico. She studied Business Administration and worked for 11 years for the Human Resources Department with an American Franchise in her Country.

In 2010, she arrived in Washington State. In search of personal growth she met our organization “Para Los Niños”, in 2021; where she had the opportunity to assist in our programs taking classes and workshops related to service and support to the Latin community.

Presently, she forms part of the pilot project of Health Promoters for Para Los Niños. Some of her passions are serving the community, and her family, and to continue learning and develop.

She believes that constancy, education, and support are fundamental for our families to meet their objectives.

Ann

Program Manager

Ann was born in Mexico City. As a daughter and granddaughter of immigrants from 5 different countries, she values the importance of creating programs for families who leave their own countries looking for new life opportunities, because it has been the story of her life.

She has a degree in Social Communication Sciences, a Master’s in Education from Anáhuac University, and has more than 12 years of experience working in education.

Her passion is to participate and train for Triathlons, as well as support migrant communities because she and her family have had to migrate due to various circumstances.

She values the fact that at PLN education is for all ages, she enjoys sharing her abilities and learning from the abilities of others.

Continuing learning is another of her interests, she is currently studying for the International ELE Certification in order to teach the Spanish Language. She believes that it is never too late to pursue your education regardless of age.

Ann is proud to belong to the Latino community, she is very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the Para Los Niños team.

Reina

Creciendo en Comunidad Program Coordinator

Reina was born in Tabasco, Mexico. She obtained a degree in Biology and Political Science.

In Mexico, she worked as the State Delegate of Pension and Savings Fund in Social Security and as a Coordinator of Public Attention. She was the president of a non-profit organization in the State as well. Reina moved to Washington State in 2007.

She primarily worked as a tax preparer and caregiver. She volunteered for the Latino community in King County as a Community Connector. She also co-facilitated at community cafes and provided Parent to Parent support for children with different needs.

Reina is very excited and grateful to work at Para Los Niños. Her passion is to serve, interact and support the Latino community, as well as enjoy time with her family.

Sonya

Executive Assistant

Sonya comes from Berber and Viking heritage to join the Latinx community at Para Los Niños.

She was born in Montana in the United States of America, and before she could walk, the family flew to Tunisia, where she spent her childhood before moving to Aleppo, Syria to start and graduate from International Baccalaureate High School.

She has a deep appreciation for the celebration of ethnic diversity. Sonya has a holistic world view and brings this to her position as Executive Assistant. Her focus in university studies were pre-veterinary medicine, language education, youth counseling/social work and fine art sculpture.

Sonya also uses her creative and analytical mind to seek additional information and growth through life experiences. Her caring and fearless heart took her to Mexico where she lived for 11 years as a professor, property manager and Freedive Instructor.

Sonya is expanding her migration route between Zihuatanejo, Mexico and Haouaria, Tunisia to include Highline in Washington state in performing the role of Executive Assistant.

Sonya is grateful to share her abilities and collaborate towards the progress and wellbeing of Para Los Niños.

Alondra

Youth Organizer

She was born in Seattle. Her family comes from Durango, Mexico. She is the eldest of three.

She is a first generation Mexican-American. She graduated from University of Washington and received her Sociology BA and a minor in diversity. At an early age Rainier Scholars gave her the opportunity to work towards higher education along with other resources.

She thinks it is important to not forget where one comes from and just how her community helped her.

She wants to help those in her community. She is passionate about helping the youth in her community so that they get all the resources needed in order to continue to pursue education along with creating a safe space for them to build new relationships.

She previously worked at a middle school in which she was the operations coordinator and the girls soccer coach. In her free time she enjoys the outdoors, playing soccer, learning new languages and trying new foods.

Yareli

Youth Organizer Assistant

Yareli has spent her entire life in Skagit County, where she remains deeply connected to the community that shaped her. From a young age, she developed a passion for education and for working with children, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.

She began her academic journey at Skagit Valley College, earning her transfer degree. Her goal is to empower students and foster inclusive learning environments.

Yareli has always been committed to community service. She volunteered with Children of the Valley, supporting children from farm-working families and helping ensure they had access to educational resources.

While at Skagit Valley College, she joined Maestros para el Pueblo, where she stepped into leadership roles and contributed to events that supported aspiring educators. Her professional journey includes working as an academic coach at Mount Baker Middle School through a local nonprofit. In that role, she helped students strengthen academic skills and guided them in exploring career paths.

Yareli’s ongoing dedication to education and community engagement reflects her deep commitment to promoting growth, empowerment, and opportunity for young learners in her community.

Alba

Aprendamos Juntos & Summer Program Coordinator

Alba was born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, and has spent most of her life in El Paso, Texas.

She has worked in the nonprofit sector across Texas and Washington, providing services to underserved communities.

Before joining Para Los Niños, Alba worked with Communities In Schools in both Dallas and El Paso, Texas, as well as in Washington, where she collaborated closely with students and families to offer a wide range of support services.

Prior to her nonprofit work, Alba served as a substitute teacher and also worked as a corrections officer. She held case management roles in both jail and prison settings in New Mexico and Texas, and worked as a youth care worker in a shelter for immigrant youth.

Alba holds a degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Forensic Psychology from New Mexico State University (NMSU). In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, visiting the park, playing guitar, and spending time with friends and family.

Lupita

LGBTQIA+ Parent Support Group Coordinator

Lupita is a proud Mexican-American leader born and raised in Eastern Washington, where she spent her early years working alongside her migrant parents and siblings in the agricultural fields.

Those experiences shaped her deep respect for hard work, community, and the power of opportunity.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Applied Management from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, and has dedicated her career to creating nurturing, inclusive spaces for young children and families.

As a queer preschool director, Lupita brings authenticity, compassion, and vision to her work. She is deeply committed to building meaningful community partnerships and expanding access to equitable, high-quality early learning. Lupita believes schools can be places where every child and family feels seen, valued, and empowered.

Her leadership is rooted in relationship, cultural pride, and the belief that strong communities begin with how we care for our youngest learners.

Yamelli

Environmental Justice Community Coordinator

Yamelli is a research scientist from Cerritos and Houston working on projects at the intersection of the environment, community decision-making, and energy.

She has research experiences in neuroscience, policy, educational technology, population health, nuclear waste, energy, and the environment.

Yamelli holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a concentration in social inequality, health, and policy from the University of Texas at Austin.

What We Stand For

Hear From Our Participants

My name is C.S., and I am from Mexico City. In 2017, my family and I came to the United States seeking more opportunities for our children. When we arrived in Burien, I began looking for summer programs and was referred to Para Los Niños. It was through this organization that I met other Latino families, and my children found a sense of belonging in their new community.

Para Los Niños then gave me the opportunity to volunteer, serving and supporting others in the same way I had once been helped. Later, I joined the Aprendamos Juntos program to take English classes while my children participated in academic and enrichment activities. I also completed the Leadership Academy and Health Promotoras training—programs that deeply strengthened my skills and confidence.

Today, I’m an instructor in the Aprendamos Juntos program, helping children develop their abilities and grow into confident, capable individuals. Para Los Niños opened doors not only for my family but for my future.