Bright Prospect

Stephanie Campbell – Executive Director

Ms. Campbell attended ethnically-diverse public schools in Los Angeles during the 1960’s. She earned a B.A. cum laude in Spanish Literature and Latin American Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an M.A. in Spanish Literature at U.C. San Diego. For eighteen years Ms. Campbell taught all levels of Spanish, including Advanced Placement Literature, at both urban and suburban high schools. During her teaching career she took on a leadership role in the Inland Empire Foreign Language Association, serving on its board, as newsletter editor and as its representative on the board of the statewide California Language Teachers Association.

She is the author of the innovative Cuentos de Ensalada: A Soap Opera for Spanish 1 & 2, which has been translated and published in both Spanish and French by Teacher’s Discovery. She has presented workshops at numerous education conferences. For the year prior to becoming Executive Director of Bright Prospect, Ms. Campbell worked with the One Voice Scholarship Program.

Timothy Sandoval – Director of Academy of Young Scholars Program

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Pomona, CA, Mr. Sandoval learned early on that if he was going to overcome the economic hardships his parents experienced he would have to remain focused, self-motivated and open to new experiences.

A graduate of Pomona High School (one of the low-income schools now served by Bright Prospect), he recalls the personal sacrifices his parents made so that he could go to college. Mr. Sandoval attended Claremont McKenna College for two years and received his B.A. in English Literature from the University of California, Riverside.

He worked at the Pomona Valley Center for Community Development, organizing youth programs, cultural events and community outreach programs, and subsequently taught English in the International Baccalaureate program at Charter Oak High School in Covina, California.

Savoeun Phang – College Counselor

A refugee from Cambodia, Savoeun fled with her family to America to escape war and genocide, and has lived through the struggles of her family and her Cambodian community during their transition to life in the United States. Savoeun earned a B. A. in Liberal Studies with a concentration in mathematics from Cal State San Bernardino.

She taught for an after-school reading program in San Bernardino working with low-income elementary school children who were performing below district reading standards. Savoeun then served as a substitute teacher in the Riverside Unified School District, teaching at all levels from preschool through high school as well as working with students with disabilities.

Savoeun first worked as a volunteer for Bright Prospect during the summers prior to joining the program full-time. Savoeun’s immigrant experience has taught her the value of life and a genuine passion for humanity, while her teaching experience has taught her the value of education and the importance of helping the young men and women in our community.

Savoeun advises students in the Scholar Support Program.

Lara Colvin – College Counselor

A native of Eugene, Oregon, Lara yearned to broaden her horizons by attending an out-of-state liberal arts college, and found her home at Scripps College in Claremont, CA. She interned at Bright Prospect the summer after her sophomore year. Highly committed to helping students in nearby communities gain access to resources such as those offered by the Claremont Colleges, Lara founded a Scripps-based program for Claremont Colleges students to tutor students in the Bright Prospect Academy of Young Scholars. Lara studied abroad in Ecuador, living with three host families in three different cities, and developed her fluency in Spanish.

After graduating cum laude in 2009 with a degree in Politics and International Relations and a Spanish minor, Lara joined the Bright Prospect staff and now primarily mentors students in the Scholar Support Program.

Teresa Hidalgo – Program Coordinator

A recent graduate of Whittier College, Teresa Hidalgo was in the foster care system for ten years and has become an advocate for helping youth get into college and a role model for youth with similar experiences. She was introduced to Bright Prospect by United Friends of the Children, an organization that focuses on improving the lives of foster children through education. Teresa received her B.A. in Spanish and is continuing at Whittier College to earn her Master's in Education. Born in Yakima, Washington, Teresa grew up in the Los Angeles area and very much considers herself an L.A. resident.

Teresa's life experiences have made her passionate about the value of education. She interned with Bright Prospect in the summer of 2009, and has now joined the Bright Prospect staff to work with the Academy of Young Scholars program.

Kendra Pineda – Program Coordinator

Born and raised in Pomona, CA, Kendra Pineda graduated from Ganesha High School (one of the low-income schools served by Bright Prospect). As the youngest of immigrant parents, Kendra's dream was to attend college and expand her boundaries to areas no one else in her family had reached. She was accepted into Bright Prospect's Scholar Support Program, and with their guidance and support fulfilled her goals. Kendra attended Smith College, an all-women's college in western Massachusetts. While at Smith, she studied abroad in central Mexico, joined and performed with a dance group called The Sovereign Collective, and served as a summer intern for Bright Prospect. Upon graduating cum laude in 2010 with a B.A. in Spanish Language and Literature and an Education and Child Study minor, Kendra joined the Bright Prospect staff and now works with the Academy of Young Scholars program.

Jason Cordova – Program Coordinator

An alumnus of the Bright Prospect Scholar Support Program and a graduate of Connecticut College, Jason witnessed his single mother work long hours in order to support him and his younger brother. Her sacrifice and hard work inspired Jason to help his family through his education. With the help and guidance of Bright Prospect Jason received acceptance to Connecticut College along with a comprehensive financial aid package. Throughout his four years at Connecticut College Jason became very involved on campus and in the community. Jason was awarded the Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award by for his contributions to the college and New London Community. Jason received his B.A. in American Studies and Philosophy.

Teurai Nugent – Program Coordinator

Born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, Teurai moved to San Francisco 1998 to live with his father. Like many of the students he now works with as a member of the Bright Prospect staff, Teurai went through both the culture shock and the exciting sense of opportunities and possibilities that characterize the immigrant experience. Teurai juggled several jobs at a time to put himself through college. After building up sufficient credits at several community colleges, both in Northern and Southern California, Teurai ultimately transferred to Cal State Fullerton where he earned a bachelor's degree in economics. He never lost sight of his goal of graduating from college, and he now shares his story of persistence with Bright Prospect students.

Annette Monge-Hermosillo – Administrative Assistant

A true Pomona native, Annette attended elementary, middle school, high school and college in Pomona. She earned her B.A. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing at Cal Poly Pomona. Upon graduation, she worked as a Corporate Sponsorship Sales Associate for the Los Angeles County Fair; among her duties was supervising the activities of some of the wonderful Bright Prospect students who were participating in the L.A. County Fair Junior Fairboard Association. She is excited to be able to give back to the community that has given her so much by working at an organization committed to supporting and guiding today's young scholars.

Eric Garen – Director and President

Mr. Garen is the Founder and President of the Bright Prospect. He is also a Trustee of the Harvard-Westlake School where he chairs the Education Committee, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Center Theater Group where he chairs the Marketing Committee.

Mr. Garen co-founded Learning Tree International (NASDAQ NM: LTRE) in 1974 and serves as its Chairman. A world leader in information technology training, Learning Tree has offices in the United States, Canada, UK, France, Sweden and Japan, and has trained over two million IT professionals and managers.

Curt Hessler - Director

Mr. Hessler is the former Chairman and CEO of 101 Communications, a publisher of several magazines in the field of information technology. Prior to that, he served as Vice Chairman of Unisys Corporation and Executive Vice President of the Times-Mirror Corporation.

During the Carter administration, Mr. Hessler served as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy.

Alan Fox - Director

Alan Fox is the founder and President of ACF Property Management,
a real estate investment and management company with over
$1 billion of property under management.

He also serves as President of the Frieda C. Fox Family Foundation.

Dr. Michael Ortiz – Director

Dr. Michael Ortiz is President of California Polytechnic University, Pomona, a position he has held since 2003. Prior to assuming the presidency of Cal Poly Pomona, Dr. Ortiz served as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at California State University, Fresno, and was also an administrator at the University of Southern Colorado and Appalachian State University. Dr. Ortiz is a leader in the Committee on Teacher Education and Task force on Sustainability of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. He is also active on the CSU Presidents' Council on Underserved Constituencies and in the Executive Advocacy Group for the City of Pomona Youth and Family Master Plan.

Dr. Stephen Morgan – Director

Dr. Stephen Morgan served as President of the University of La Verne from 1985 to 2011. A dedicated and engaged community member, Dr. Morgan has chaired the boards of the Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, the Los Angeles County Fair Association, the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, Mt. Baldy United Way, Western Association of Colleges, LeRoy Haynes Center for Children, and served as a director for the McKinley's Children's Center.