Student Housing, Family Services, & Essential Supports Center

About Our Office

Purpose Statement

We support student and family success by fostering belonging, stability, and holistic well-being across housing, family services, essential needs and retention programs. Grounded in Cabrillo’s HSI mission and our deep connection to the Santa Cruz region, we honor students’ cultural wealth and lived experiences. Through equitable, culturally responsive, and collaborative practices, we help students access the resources and community they need to thrive.

Core Pillars

Belonging - Stability - Holistic Well-Being

student smiling looking at phone
College student writing in books
Man holding books
Our Team

Get In Touch With Our Team

Ryan Haynes
Director of Oversight, Student Housing & Child Care Center
(831) 479-6362
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Brianna Bugayong
Student Retention & Success Coordinator
(831) 479-6284
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Roberto Garcia
Food Recovery, Pantry Operations, & Programming Resource Assistant
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Mercedes Grzimek
Student Inreach, Communications, & Community Engagement Resource Assistant
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Moises Martinez
Essential Supports Center Student Assistant
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Lizette Ortiz
Essential Supports Center Student Assistant
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Jennifer Cannon
Family Services Student Assistant
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Our team is dedicated and compassionate. Below, you’ll find a brief glimpse into what helps ground and sustain them.

Where Do You Call Home: Santa Cruz County

Favorite Place in the Santa Cruz Area to Recharge: A quiet secluded redwood forest or beach

Small Ritual that Helps You Stay Grounded: Taking a mindfulness walk or taking a beverage break (I enjoy iced coffee, tea, water, and coke zero with lime)

Where Do You Call Home: I've lived on both coasts and have been shaped by different cities and communities. Most recently, I've started to set deeper roots in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Favorite Place in the Santa Cruz Area to Recharge: The beaches around Davenport, my small backyard garden, or a quiet stretch of woods where I can run my dog

Small Ritual that Helps You Stay Grounded: I try to treat cooking as a form of meditation. Taking the time helps me slow down, be present, and nourish myself and others.

Where Do You Call Home: Born & Raised in Watsonville, CA

Favorite Place in the Santa Cruz Area to Recharge: Anywhere that involves the beach, nature, and fresh air

Small Ritual that Helps You Stay Grounded: Grounding exercises to help regulate my nervous system when I'm stressed. You can find me laying on the floor or going for a walk.

Major: Computer Applications and Business Technology, & Culinary Arts

Where Do You Call Home: Wherever I find peace during the stormy and sunny days

Favorite Place in the Santa Cruz Area to Recharge: Eight Verse Trail Loop in Soquel

Small Ritual that Helps You Stay Grounded: Going for walks, the longer the better

Where Do You Call Home: The trails, the fog, and Santa Cruz

Favorite Place in the Santa Cruz Area to Recharge: Henry Cowell State Park, Wilder Ranch, Westcliff

Small Ritual that Helps You Stay Grounded: A long trail run where I leave my phone behind or cooking something from scratch

Major: Medical Assistant Certificate

Where Do You Call Home: Santa Cruz, CA

Favorite Place in the Santa Cruz Area to Recharge: I like going to Costco to restock on snacks and groceries

Small Ritual that Helps You Stay Grounded: Taking a rest day by doing nothing, because for that one day you can forget about the work that needs to be done and simply relax

Major: Nursing

Where Do You Call Home: Watsonville, CA

Favorite Place in the Santa Cruz Area to Recharge: The Beach in Santa Cruz

Small Ritual that Helps You Stay Grounded: Sleeping in or staying away from social media

Major: Culinary Arts and Community Health Worker

Where Do You Call Home: My home is with my two sons in Soquel

Favorite Place in the Santa Cruz Area to Recharge: Rio Del Mar Beach

Small Ritual that Helps You Stay Grounded: Every morning I open my front door to welcome the day

Our Units
Supports for Students
Student Housing
Costa Vista Student Housing (Opening Fall 2027)
Program Purpose

Costa Vista provides a supportive residential community that fosters belonging, stability, and holistic well-being for students and families living at Costa Vista. We create safe, inclusive, and community-oriented environments where residents can build connections, access resources, and thrive academically and personally.


Costa Vista leverages the partnership of the Cabrillo College Office of Student Housing Family Services, and Essential Supports Center, UC Santa Cruz Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services (CHES), and external vendors, to offer an array of opportunities and support to residents.

Family Services
Program Purpose

We support student families through accessible, high-quality child care (Costa Vista Child Care Center) and family-centered services. We provide nurturing, culturally responsive, and developmentally supportive environments where children can grow and families can thrive.

Food
Essential Supports Center
Program Purpose

We provide accessible, dignified, and culturally responsive essential needs support. Through strength-based, trauma-informed care and strong community partnerships across the Santa Cruz region, we connect students with food resources, housing support, financial and basic needs assistance, and holistic services to help them thrive.

Retention & Success
Program Purpose

Vision

We envision a Cabrillo where every student and family can succeed on campus, at home, and in the broader community.

We aspire to create a place-based ecosystem of care that integrates housing, child care, family services, and essential supports into an interconnected network shaped by the cultural and ecological landscape of the Santa Cruz region, strong community partnerships, and our commitment to servingness.

Our Vision is a Future Where:

  • Students experience environments that support learning, connection, and well-being

  • Families find a home and community that strengthen identity, opportunity, and support

  • Basic needs are met with dignity, equity, and cultural responsiveness

  • Cabrillo College becomes a model for equitable, community-rooted, holistic student support across the California Community Colleges system

Visit Us

Watsonville Center
Address:
318 Union Street, Watsonville, CA, Building B, B103, Centro de Bienestar y Despensa Estudiantil Cabrillo (Wellness Center & Food Pantry)
Aptos Campus
Address:
6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos, CA, SAC West 111, Street Level (with CalWORKs, Rising Scholars, & Juvenile Justice)
girl against tree
We Believe In
Belonging, Stability, & Holistic Well-Being for Every Student