Meet our Team!
Shirley Acevedo Buontempo, MPA
Founder & Executive Director
Julie DelValle Nunn
Senior Operations Manager
Cathy Maroney
Senior Partnership & Volunteer Manager
Doris Tenesaca
Communications Manager
Jennifer Polanco-Calderon
Director of Programs
Haydee Davila
Associate Director of Programs
Jailine Batista
College Access Manager
Laura Valencia
College Success Manager
Stephanie Palacios
Financial Aid Advisor
Kaylin Campos
Virtual College Coach Manager
Debra Hand
Virtual College Coach Advisor
About Us
Latino U College Access is a nonprofit organization that transforms lives by making college dreams a reality for low-income, first-generation, Latino youth. Our mission is to empower students on their journeys to and through college so they can fulfill their remarkable potential.
We guide students, who have demonstrated academic aptitude, through individualized coaching and culturally relevant programming to ensure they enroll in schools that meet their financial and academic needs.
LUCA was founded in 2012 by Shirley Acevedo Buontempo to address the inequity first-generation Latino students face while pursuing their college dreams. Shirley experienced the transformative power of education firsthand. Born in Puerto Rico, she moved to the Bronx when she was ten. After navigating the school system and learning English, Shirley was the first in her family to graduate from college.
Board of Directors
Shirley Acevedo Buontempo
Founder & Interim Executive Director, LUCA
Lisa M. Bell – Treasurer
US Bank
Patricia Bogoya-Bravo
PepsiCo
Shawn Edwards – Secretary
Bloomberg LP
Christine Louvet – Chairperson
Louvet Consulting
Miguel M. Mendez
Morgan Stanley
Rafael Pérez
Blue Grid Partners
Aldo J. Polak
Farlie Turner Gilbert & Co
Clara Román
Houlihan Lawrence
Jonathan Schwartz
The Brookings Institution
Matthew Searles
Merritt Healthcare Advisors
Scott Silverstein
Dalia Hernández Valdés
Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s
Tamara Vasquez
Global Diversity – Equity
Rodrigo Trelles Zabala
UBS O’Connor
Join Us! Visiones Gala: Inspired by Purpose (Latino U College Access)
2024 LUCA Graduation Celebration Highlights
Join Us! Visiones Gala: INSPIRED by PURPOSE
Who is the Most Influential Woman You Know? || LUCA Celebrates Women's History Month ||
Who is the Most Influential Woman You Know? || LUCA Celebrates Women's History Month ||
LUCA Proud To Be – Hispanic Heritage Month Campaign
Latino U College Access – Hispanic Heritage Month
LUCA Graduation Celebration 2023 Highlight Reel
It's Not Over – Support Latino College Dreams