Eddie Galeana has served as the Director of TRiO since September 2022. In his role, Eddie is responsible for the overall management of the Student Support Services Program, Upward Bound, and Upward Bound Math and Science.

Prior to joining LAVC, Eddie worked in the area of grants management at numerous colleges throughout the LACCD, including East, Harbor, LA City College, and now Valley.

Eddie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University and a Master’s Degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Mr. Omar Madrid is the Advisor for the Upward Bound Math & Science program. He graduated from California State University Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. As a first-generation college student, he has gained a thorough understanding of the unique challenges encountered by first generation students. For the past thirteen years, he has worked in various roles such as a social worker, scholarship and college advisor, and career and financial coach. In these roles, he worked with students from all walks of life in helping them reach their personal and academic goals. Connecting youth to higher education is important for Mr. Madrid as a college education can contribute to economic prosperity, improved health outcomes, higher levels of civic engagement, lower incarceration rates and improved academic achievement for future generations.

Hello!! My name is Karen Vega and I'm the TRiO Upward Bound Advisor. I graduated from CSUN in 2018 with a bachelor's in psychology. I'm currently working on my master's in educational counseling at National University. As a formal TRIO and LACCD student, I know first-hand how beneficial being part of a college prep program is when you're a first generation/low-income student. My goal as an advisor is to ensure that my students understand and meet the requirements needed to graduate high school and move on to higher education. I encourage self‐reliance by helping students make informed and responsible decisions and set realistic goals towards their future.