BEYOND A NAME: HIGHLIGHTING OUR PROFESSIONAL TEAM

At the SALT Center, we have an extremely diverse team of professional staff, each of whom fulfills a unique role in supporting our students and operations. Here are just a few of our amazing team members, as described by their colleagues:

RICHARD ST. CLAIR

Student Support Specialist

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By Stephen Ferris

Richard St. Clair joined the SALT Center team in 2021. He works with students every day to improve their study skills, develop organization and planning habits, and guide them through the sometimes-complicated university environment. As a former math teacher, Richard also lends his expertise by assisting with our college algebra study groups each week.

Referring to the challenges that many students at the SALT Center face, he describes himself as an “outside resource for executive functioning” and his help is always appreciated by students who use this service!

Richard is a long-time Tucson resident and before working in education, was a nuclear engineer aboard submarines as a member of the US Navy. He spends most of his free time with his family, including his five year-old son, and enjoys astronomy, reading, video games, and movies.

ALEXANDRIA VALENCIA

Administrative Services Coordinator

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By Marcela Delgado

Alexandria Valencia, a Tucson native and former elementary school art teacher, is a standout member of the SALT Center team. Since joining our staff in 2022, she has consistently gone above and beyond, embodying the true essence of a proactive team player.

Alexandria’s duties as the Administrative Services Coordinator include accounting, enrollment management, human resources, facilities management, and ensuring that all families and students receive top-notch customer service.

Friends know they can count on Alexandria for lively conversations about her cuddly dog Rocket and her Indonesian, blue-tongued skink (it’s a lizard!) Cosmic. With her on our team, work is not just a job, but a place filled with shared laughter and meaningful connections.

DR. LAURA KERRY-HENKEL

Psychologist

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By Roxana Samaniego

Dr. Kerry-Henkel is a licensed psychologist who brings a wealth of experience to our clinical services team, conducting comprehensive psychological and psychoeducational evaluations at the ABLE Clinic, our in-house assessment division.

Dr. Kerry-Henkel began her career as a first-grade teacher, where she discovered her passion for supporting students' academic and social-emotional needs. In 2004, she earned an Educational Specialist degree in Special Education, and in 2012, began working for the SALT Center as a Learning Specialist. After earning a doctoral degree in School Psychology in 2017, she returned to K-12, working as a school psychologist for six years. She rejoined the SALT Center team in 2023 with her current role at the ABLE Clinic.

Dr. Kerry-Henkel loves uncovering the unique strengths and challenges of each student and providing them with actionable steps for change. Her work is a testament to her commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of her clients.

JESSICA STANSEL

Sr. Coordinator for Academic Intervention Services

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By Blake Cesarz

Jessica Stansel started as a SALT Center Peer Tutor in 2010, and after five semesters of successfully guiding students, became our Graduate Assistant for tutoring. In 2014, she joined our professional staff as a Student Support Specialist, and today, works as a Senior Coordinator for Academic Intervention Services.

In her current role, Jessica provides one-on-one supplemental support to students who are on academic warning or probation. She provides these students with learning strategies and encouragement to help guide them back into good academic standing.

Additionally, Jessica coordinates our twice-weekly college algebra study groups and has pioneered a support model that has reshaped the way math instruction takes place on campus. Students engaging in these groups typically earn higher grades and increase their likelihood of placing into their next math course.

Jessica is also an avid baker, and the staff gets to enjoy the delicious confections she occasionally prepares, helping our team stay at the top of our game!

JACQUELINE MULLINS

Learning Support Services Coordinator

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[Photographer: Emily Fuchs]

By Alexandria Valencia

Since 2021, Jackie Mullins has been a Learning Support Services Coordinator on our tutoring team where she helps manage our day-to-day tutoring operations and helps ensure our tutors are properly trained and supported. She especially enjoys getting to work directly with students and being a mentor to our outstanding student workers.

In addition to her regular responsibilities, Jackie also helps lead our Student Engagement Team which puts on fun and engaging social events for students throughout the year.

Jackie has earned all her degrees at Arizona and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Teaching, Learning, and Socio-Cultural Studies. Her doctoral research focuses on student-teacher relationship development, care, and student motivation/commitment within a Hispanic Serving Institution.

Jackie also loves to travel (her favorites are Greece and Japan), spend time with her family (including two French bulldogs named Milo and Maple), and read. Jackie has a contagiously positive attitude and is an invaluable member of our team!

ISAAC FLATER

Marketing Specialist

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[Photographer: Mario Gaxiola]

By Lupe Thompson

Isaac Flater first joined the SALT Center team in 2012 as a student worker and then, after graduating, transitioned into a full-time position supporting our Admissions Team and Executive Director’s Office.

In his current role as our Marketing Specialist, Isaac helps spread awareness of our services and events by coordinating our social media, website, journal, and other promotional materials. He is passionate about telling authentic stories of students who learn differently and highlighting their unique journeys, struggles, and triumphs.

On a personal level, Isaac is a good natured and easygoing husband and father of three. He enjoys local history and visiting cultural sites like the Tucson Presidio and Mission Gardens. He also enjoys hiking, traveling, photography, genealogy, gardening, and movies. Lastly, Isaac loves to meet people from all over the world and is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.

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