Our Board of Directors

Julissa Arce, Chairman of the Board, is originally from Mexico, and immigrated to San Antonio Texas at the age of eleven. She is a national speaker, writer and advocate for immigrant rights and education.  She is the author of “My (Underground) American Dream and “Entre Las Sombras del Sueño Americano”  Previously, she was the Director of Development at Define American, a media organization that uses the power of story to change culture around immigration, citizenship and identity in America.  Prior to joining Define American, she spent nearly ten years on Wall Street as a vice-president at Goldman Sachs and a Director at Merrill Lynch focused on derivative structuring, marketing and product development.  Julissa has served on the board of the Esperanza Educational fund, and is a board member of the National Immigration Law Center and CollegeSpring.  She loves crossfit, traveling, her two cats, Nikko and Pancho and her dog Papa Chief. Julissa attended the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin where she graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Finance.

Advisory Council

The Advisory Council for the Ascend Educational Fund consists of thoughtful leaders who are instrumental in ensuring the longevity of our organization by providing advice and guidance to the Board of Directors. The commitment of the Advisory Council is to raise a minimum of $2,500 annually.

The Advisory Council is also encouraged to:

1. Advise the Board of Directors on the fundraising strategy and contribute their expertise and thinking to the current and future work of Ascend Educational Fund

2. Attend two Board of Directors meetings per year (including the Annual Report meeting held in February)

We recognize our Advisory Council by:

1. Naming a scholarship in their honor (or name of their choice)

2. Inviting them to an exclusive event once per year

3. Acting on their advice and guidance

If you are interested in joining our Advisory Board, please contact us at info@ascendfundny.org