Meet the LEAD Faculty
Veronica Acevedo Avila
Veronica Acevedo Avila, Reading Instructor, joined LEAD after learning about its aim to foster support and build community among students, using the teacher as facilitator and learner. She teaches READ 200, READ 211, and LART 211, all of which are designed to teach students how to create a sophisticated response and analysis to complex social justice theories and concepts."
Rosanna Alvarez
Rosanna Alvarez is a native of East San Jose. She currently teaches La Mujer: Latina Life & Experience, Chicano/a Culture, Women of Color in the U.S., Intro to Chicano/a Studies, and Chicano History at De Anza, in addition to teaching Public Speaking at San Jose State University. She also runs a young women's program for teens in San Jose and writes creative nonfiction and poetry that addresses self-recovery, voice, and liberation. She is the Co-Founder of the Andariega Collective, a non-profit grassroots women-led movement that supports women and youth in a gender-responsive, culturally informed space that cultivates resiliency through advocacy, cultural values, and identity development and her courses reflect her commitment to community, empowerment, and collaboration.
Emily Breunig
Emily Breunig first joined LEAD in the fall of 2011 as a EWRT 211 instructor and temporary coordinator. She loves teaching writing with LEAD because of the way students and teachers learn from and with each other. She's currently teaching EWRT 1A and already planning her altar for Dia de los Muertos.
Chesa Caparas
Chesa started teaching with LEAD in Spring 2013 and teaches EWRT 211, LART211, EWRT1A, and EWRT2. This Fall she'll be teaching an EWRT1A that focuses on food, body image, and human rights. She loves teaching with LEAD because of the great sense of community and the enthusiasm that teachers, students, and mentors bring to every class.
Karen Chow
Karen Chow has been with the LEAD program since it started and has taught EWRT 211, 1A, 1B, and 2 for LEAD. I am thrilled to be part of this great program that empowers all students to be community builders and social change makers.
Marc Coronado, PhD
I'm honored that I was there at the very beginning, in the summer of 2005 when a small group of students created the LEAD community. I work every day to honor their ideas of community building, Latina/o leadership development, and commitment to social justice.
Alicia De Toro 
I am Alicia De Toro and I am a former De Anza student myself! After having a great experience at DA I became impassioned about environmental sciences. I am so grateful to be back at DA helping other students to have an experience like my own.
Amy Lombardi
Amy has been teaching LEAD classes for 4 years, mostly as a writing instructor. Her LEAD courses have included EWRT 211, and 1A, LART 211, and Introduction to Linguistics. Her current focus is teaching English as a Second Language, where she's developing curriculum to bring the LEAD spirit of familia and social justice to her students around the world.
Brian Malone
Brian Malone teaches writing, including EWRT 211, EWRT 1A, and EWRT 2. He has a longstanding interest in collaborative approaches to learning and is excited to be working with students in the LEAD program.
In Fall 2015, he is teaching EWRT 211, TuTh 4-6:15.
Jim Nguyen
Jim Nguyen has been teaching Political Science at De Anza College since 2009. He was a community college transfer from College of San Mateo, and then moved on to U.C. Berkeley for his B.A.. Jim also went on to receive his law degree from Santa Clara University. He enjoys teaching in LEAD because of the collaborative spirit in working with mentors and other LEAD faculty. In the classroom, Jim works to promote a welcoming, vibrant learning community for all of his students.
Political Science 1: American Government and Politics
MTWTh 10:30-11:20
MW 1:30 - 3:20
TTH 11:30 - 1:20
Monika Thomas
My name is Monika Thomas and I enjoy teaching Principles of Microeconomics and Principles of Macroeconomics courses at De Anza College (since 6 years). I received my graduate degree from UCSC. I believe that we can learn and understand economics by discussing and working in familias, and by connecting economic principles to engagement within our communities.
My schedule for Service learning and LEAD classes in fall 2015:
Principles of Microeconomics MTWTh 11:30-12:20pm
Principles of Microeconomics MTWTh 12:30-1:20pm