CURRENT STUDENTS
Joseph Alvarez
Joseph is a 2nd year school psychology student. He was born and raised in Azusa, CA. Joseph has one older sister, who attends California State University, Los Angeles. As a first-generation college student, Joseph earned his B.A. degree in Psychology from California State University, Stanislaus, while also competing for the Men’s Collegiate Basketball Team for 5 years. In his undergraduate career, Joseph used to volunteer for Jessica’s House, which is a grief support organization based in Turlock, CA, where he served as a facilitator. Professionally, Joseph has worked as an in-home behavioral therapist with children who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. He also worked as a 1:1 aide in an SDC classroom with students who were moderately to severely disabled. Joseph currently works as a substitute teacher in Ontario-Montclair District. Joseph’s current practicum site is Rancho Cucamonga High School in Chaffey Joint Union High School District but he has had practicum experiences in Ontario-Montclair School District and Alta Loma School District as well.
Joseph can be reached at Joseph Alvarez
Ciara Castille (She/Her/Hers)
Ciara is a 3rd year School Psychology student. She was born and raised in Redlands, CA. She earned a B.A. degree in Psychology at California State University San Bernardino. Ciara has previously worked as a volunteer volleyball coach helping at-risk youth. She Is currently a graduate research assistant working with Dr. Robert Nelson, Professor in the School Psychology program. Her research interests include identifying barriers that are impacting youth’s emotional wellbeing. Ciara’s School Psychology practicum site was at San Bernardino City Unified School District. Her internship site is at Fontana Unified School District.
Ciara can be reached at Ciara Castille
Mustapha Bendelhoum
Mustapha is a former School Psychology student who graduated from the program in Spring 2021. He was born in Algiers, Algeria and was raised in Southern CA. He earned his B.A. degree from California State University San Bernardino in Sociology and earned his M.A. degree in Educational Psychology at Ball State University. Before coming to CSUSB, Mustapha worked as a youth coordinator at various institutions for 16 years. He also volunteered his free time feeding the homeless and tutoring children in an after-school program for several years. Mustapha’s School Psychology practicum site and internship site were at San Bernardino City Unified School District.
Mustapha can be reached at Mustapha Bendelhoum
Nicole De La Cruz (She/Her/Hers)
Nicole is a 3rd year School Psychology student. She was born and raised in Corona, CA. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of California, Riverside. Before applying to the program, Nicole was working at a mental health rehabilitation and residential crisis treatment center. There, she worked with patients who had severe behavioral and mental health issues. This included homeless individuals, clients under conservatorship or on parole, and people in mental health crises. She also used to volunteer at Crisis Text Line, a non-profit organization that provides crisis intervention and mental health support for at-risk individuals. Nicole’s School Psychology practicum site was at Anaheim Union High School District. Her internship site is at Lowell Joint School District.
Nicole can be reached at Nicole De La Cruz
Ricardo Hernandez (He/Him/His)
Ricardo is a 3rd year school psychology student. Ricardo was born and raised in Orange County, CA in the city of Santa Ana. He earned two B.A. degrees at the University of California, Irvine. One degree in Psychology and the other in Education. Ricardo is currently a graduate research assistant working with Dr. Robert Nelson, Professor in the School Psychology program. His research interests include improving the educational experiences of children and adolescents. Before coming to California State University San Bernardino, Ricardo worked as an ABA therapist and volunteered for an after-school program for students from low-income families. Ricardo's School Psychology practicum site was at Los Angeles Unified School District and Rialto Unified School District. His internship site is at Rialto Unified School District.
Ricardo can be reached at Ricardo Hernandez
Sara Andrea Mendoza
Sara is a 2nd year School Psychology student. She received her A.A. degree at Riverside Community College. Sara earned her B.A. degree at California State University of San Bernardino in Psychology. Before applying to the School Psychology program, Sara worked as an intensive behavioral instructor providing services for children with Autism and continues to work there. Sara has also volunteered to assist general education and special education classrooms. Sara's School Psychology practicum site is at Alvord Unified School District.
Sara can be reached at Sara Andrea Mendoza
Brytnee Peacock
Brytnee is a 3rd year School Psychology student. She earned her A.A. degree at Riverside Community College, Norco. She earned two B.A. degrees, one in Child Development and the other in Psychology at California State University San Bernardino. As an undergraduate student, Brytnee worked on several research projects. She also worked with Project Cuidar in San Bernardino, providing enrichment services to at-risk children. During the eight years between her undergraduate and graduate career, Brytnee worked at various training child development lab schools, providing developmentally appropriate practices for children and training for new teachers. Her professional interests include person-first speech and creating and providing resources for homeless and at-risk students and their families. Brytnee's practicum site and internship site are at Cucamonga School District.
Brytnee can be reached at Brytnee Peacock
Linda Phan
Linda Phan is a 2nd year School Psychology student. She was born in San Bernardino, CA, and raised in Rialto, CA. She completed her A.A. in Psychology at Barstow Community College. She received her B.A. degree in Psychology at California State University San Bernardino. Linda was an undergraduate research assistant. There, she researched the impact of racism on mental and physical health. Linda also worked as an applied behavior analysis specialist. She provided in-home therapy to help clients improve their socially significant behaviors by applying interventions. She was also an intern at the Child Enrichment Groups for the Infant-Toddler Success Parenting Project at CSUSB. Linda’s School Psychology practicum site is at Hesperia Unified School District.
Linda can be reached at Linda Phan
Maria Ramos (She/Her/Hers)
Maria is a 3rd year School Psychology student. She earned her B.A. degree in Human Development with a concentration in Child Development at California State University San Bernardino. Before being admitted into the School Psychology program, Maria volunteered in the Child Life program at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital. Maria is currently enrolled in the Early Childhood Administration and Leadership certificate program at CSUSB. Maria’s School Psychology practicum site was at Bear Valley Unified School District. Her internship site is at Mountain View School District.
Maria can be reached at Maria Ramos
Robby Rendon
Robby is a 2nd year School Psychology student. He earned his B.S. at the University of California Los Angeles. While at UCLA, Robby conducted research in the Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab. There, he worked on projects related to how political affiliations affect relationships as well as cognitive processing. Robby is currently a substitute teacher at Walnut Valley School District. Many of his family members also work in the field of education. His father and mother were previously elementary school principals. One sister is a science teacher, and the other is a school psychologist.
Robby can be reached at Robby Rendon
Jessica O'Handley (She/Her/Hers)
Jessica is a 3rd year school psychology student. She was born in San Bernardino, CA, and raised in Rialto, CA. Jessica has two older brothers and two older sisters. Her parents adopted four other children over the years, so she currently has an additional three younger brothers and one younger sister. Jessica earned her B.A. degree in Art at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has been a freelance artist for independent video games and is currently a published illustrator. For the past six years, Jessica has been a substitute teacher for Rialto Unified School District working in preschool, elementary, secondary, Serious Emotionally Disability, and Special Day classrooms. She also worked as an academic tutor; utilizing evidence-based intervention strategies to help students ages 3-21 years improve in reading fluency, comprehension, and math. Jessica feels it is important to give back to the community and to help the next generations find their voice to give them the power to lead lives they wish to lead. Jessica’s School Psychology practicum site and internship site are at Rialto Unified School District.
Jessica can be reached at Jessica O'Handley