Marlene Quintanilla Flores

Marlene (MARR-len) graduated from UCLA in 2022. During her undergraduate years, she worked in the Admissions Office as a Bruin Ambassador and with Orientation as a New Student Advisor for both first-year and transfer students. These experiences led Marlene to pursue a fellowship with the Destination College Advising Corps after graduation, where she was placed at James A. Garfield High School in East Los Angeles through UCLA’s Early Academic Outreach Program. Despite building her life in Southern California, Marlene ultimately returned to her roots in the Bay Area. 

As a first-generation college student living away from home, navigating an institution like UCLA was overwhelming. Through the support of peers and advisors, Marlene learned how to access resources, reach her academic goals, and build community. She now aims to empower students by helping them understand and navigate resources available to them on and off campus so they can thrive at SJSU and beyond.

When she isn’t advising, Marlene enjoys crocheting, sewing, building Lego sets, discovering new Red Bull flavors, and drinking coffee.