Center for Accessibility and Essential Needs (CAEN)

Joel oversees the Food Pantry, Edible Garden, and Monthly Food Distribution.

He is a huge fan of the Star Wars and Lord of the Rings franchises.

Mary's job is to provide voice-to-sign and sign-to-voice communication for the deaf and hard of hearing (HOH) students here at CSUB. She facilitates communication between the deaf and HOH students and the hearing students, teachers, staff, and faculty within the classroom and other CSUB activities.

Fun fact: Mary has ran over 22 marathons

Favorite movie: Top Gun

Favorite food: Tacos 

Teanna's job is to assess for learning disabilities and review psychoeducational assessments and supporting documentation to determine appropriate and reasonable accommodations.

Fun fact: She wishes Thai food started off with chips and salsa, because that would be the perfect meal.

Lenny works with students who have disabilities and help determine what type of academic accommodations are needed in order to ensure equal access to an education at CSUB. He works with students throughout the year to make sure accommodations are provided, assists with any interactions necessary with faculty, and provides support throughout the school year by following up with each student on at least an annual basis.

Lenny enjoys carpentry, photography, and is a volunteer for the Kern County Sheriff's Office Search and Rescue Team.

Mitchelle's main responsibility is to ensure that students receive appropriate accommodations. She's also the campus coordinator for the Workforce Recruitment Program (WRP), assist all students with getting services through the AVC Food Pantry and assist all students with finding internships in the local community.

She classifies herself a book nerd and enjoys reading a wide variety of books. She reads an average of 40 books per year! She also love attending Reggae festivals.

As a testing assistant, Sally support students with disabilities by administering or facilitating exams in a manner that ensures accessibility, fairness and compliance with legal accommodations. She helps create a calm and distraction, free testing environment provides specific accommodations such as extended time, read aloud services or describing, and ensure adherence to confidentiality and testing protocols.

Sally has been with California State University Bakersfield for 21 years and looks forward to retiring in just a couple more!

Patricia provides essential administrative and operational support to ensure the department functions efficiently.

She enjoys gardening, caring for her growing collection of plants, and spending time with family.

Ludy is a graduate from Shafter High and a proud alumni of CSUB where she earned her Bachelors of Arts and Masters of Public Policy and Administration. She serves as the housing navigator assistant for the CAEN team. She works with students who seek emergency housing and guidance when unexpected financial crises occur. 

One of her favorite things to do is to binge watch sitcom shows. Some of her all time favorites include The Office, Parks and Rec, Ted Lasso, and New Girl.

Mariela Vega is a graduate of Arvin High School and the University of California, Davis, she is also a proud CSUB alumna, holding a Master's Degree in Educational Counseling with a concentration in Student Affairs. Her identity as a Latina, a Dreamer, a daughter of immigrants, and a first-generation college graduate grounds her work as a student affairs professional. Mariela is dedicated to helping CSUB students access the resources and support they need to thrive academically and personally.

Miss Vega assists students with essential support requests, including emergency housing, emergency grants, and food assistance. Mariela provides CalFresh Food Application Assistance, offering guidance and answering questions to help students navigate the application process. She also provides case management services and connects students with valuable resources.

Favorite foods: Aguachiles and Tacos