Our Team

Gretchen Maldonado

Position: Interim Director 
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I’m a naturalized Californian but was born and raised in Massachusetts. One of my major passions is to help people uncover and discover their gifts and the people, places and things they want to bring these gifts to. I’ve worked in the for-profit world in tech, finance, insurance and law. And the not-for-profit world in healthcare and education. I’ve been with Scripps for about 15 years overall. I came to work here because there isn’t another institution whose mission even comes close to reflecting my own values the way Scripps’s does. Every day I have the opportunity to help the College carry out that mission and in the process, I have the privilege of working with some brilliant, incisive, and inspiring young people who are preparing to take on the world. We learn from each other and then find a way to share what we know; it’s the living embodiment of the expression, “when women lead, we all win”. And that’s why I stay here.

Stephanie Johnson

Position: Program Coordinator
Pronouns: she/her/hers

I am passionate about service leadership. After graduating with a degree in Humanities and Communication with concentrations in Peace Studies, Africana Studies, and a minor in Service-Learning Leadership, I dove into the non-profit world where I could use my skills in relationship building and strategic thinking. I have served previously as a Service–Learning Program Supervisor for CSU students, and as a Women’s Health Advocate at an emergency homeless shelter. I also have a background in Somatic Studies and Manual Movement Therapy, with specific credentials as a certified yoga teacher and certified practitioner of a bodywork technique that addresses the effects of trauma in the body. Bridging wellness practices and purposeful service is at the core of my leadership style.

 

Diana Reiss ’25

Major (s): History and Media Studies
Position: Scholar in Action
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Hi! I’m Diana, a second-year studying a mix of history, media studies, and philosophy (although I will most likely just dual-major in the first two). In my current role as Scholar in Action at the Laspa center, I am working on an interview series with Alums as well as helping plan civic engagement events in advance of the upcoming Midterm elections. This semester, I am also finishing a film project I worked on during Summer 2022 with a Laspa sponsored We Act grant. On campus, I am co-running a new CLORG on campus, Ethics Club, a bi-weekly discussion group that meets to address ethical dilemmas in a casual setting, and I am a member of the 5C film club, 5×5.

Catherine Protiva ’24

Major (s): Politics and Environmental Analysis
Position: Scholar in Action
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Hello! My name is Catherine Protiva and I’m a junior at Scripps college. I’m a politics and environmental analysis dual major, and I am so excited to be working at The Laspa Center this year as a Scholar in Action. Some of the projects I am most passionate about working on this semester are the Civic Engagement Initiative and the Laspa Fellowship. I also have been enjoying working with my fellow co-workers to brainstorm new ideas and projects!   Other than attending classes and working at the Laspa Center, I am also the Secretary General for Pomona College Model United Nations. I also love to take walks around the different campuses and grab coffee with my friends from the Motley.