The essential work of making college dreams a reality — regardless of students’ race, gender, income, or zip code — can only be achieved in partnership with those who have a shared vision for racial and economic justice in higher education, and a commitment to student success. The Campaign for College Opportunity is proud to be powered by staff members who embody these values, and today we are pleased to uplift four of those staff members who have recently stepped into greater leadership at the Campaign: Joshua Hagen, Marisa Johnson, Amanda Dominguez, and Vincent Rasso. Please join us in applauding the impact these four leaders have had throughout their careers and tenure at the Campaign — and stay tuned for more spotlights of our incredible team members, as part of an effort to more regularly connect partners to the critical staff carrying out the work of higher education transformation. 

We are honored to continue nurturing these fierce champions of student access, racial equity, and success. 

Meet

Joshua Hagen

VICE PRESIDENT OF POLICY & ADVOCACY

Joshua Hagen has been a key member of our Sacramento-based Policy Team for 5 years, cultivating essential relationships with state policymakers to help drive our policy agenda supporting student access, success, and equity within higher education. Josh discovered his calling to a career in higher education advocacy through his own experience in higher education, dealing firsthand with many of the barriers he works to prevent now, like gaps in financial aid and lack of access to student support services. Just as his college experience was saved by the guidance of faculty and staff, Josh is working to ensure more students are supported to access and complete their college degrees, despite the many barriers.

Previously as our Policy Director, Josh worked closely with President Jessie Ryan and Senior Vice President of Programs and Strategy Sara Arce to develop and secure victories that strengthen racial/ethnic equity, community college transfer, equitable placement policies, financial aid investments, funding stability for our systems, and much more. Josh played an instrumental role in launching the Campaign's policy implementation efforts, shepherding groundbreaking transfer transformation efforts to broaden equitable access to Associate Degree for Transfer (ADT) pathways, create a singular general education pattern for transfer, and develop student-facing common course numbering at the California Community Colleges (AB 928 & AB 1111, Berman). These efforts have been essential to California's vision for a transfer process that is more easily navigable to students and creates intentional onramps to educational opportunity. 

In his new role as Vice President of Policy and Advocacy, Josh will lead our policy team to double down on systems change, spearheading groundbreaking policy and advocacy efforts that support students in achieving their college dreams and ensuring California remains a strong democracy and global economy. 

Meet

Marisa Johnson

DIRECTOR OF POLICY IMPACT

Having been raised by a single mother who became the first Latina councilmember in the City of Hollister, California, Marisa Johnson learned the immense value of public service at a young age. Marisa first joined the Campaign as a Policy Fellow under our Steve Weiner and David Wolf Founder Fellowship Program in 2019 and has since played a vital role in supporting, growing, and leading an ambitious portfolio of policy initiatives. Most recently, Marisa led policy implementation to shape and measure how effectively systems and campuses are putting our policy victories into practice. Marisa also led our 2023 Listening In Statewide Tour, where she engaged hundreds of students and allies in 12 sessions across California to hear their higher education priorities and challenges, with the ultimate goal of informing our organizational strategic plan. 

Moving into her new role as Director of Policy Impact, Marisa will strengthen and refine efforts to enact systems change, ensuring students see the effects of important reforms at campuses across the state. 

Meet Amanda Dominguez

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Amanda Dominguez is deeply connected to the importance of public service through her experience growing up in a family who immigrated from Veracruz, Mexico, and La Paz, El Salvador. Amanda joined the Campaign in January 2024, providing instrumental organizational support during our presidential transition. Prior to coming to the Campaign, Amanda had an established career in public affairs, developing and executing statewide public information campaigns focused on workplace and residential health and safety, as well as workers’ rights. Amanda has effectively implemented regionally appropriate language translations to engage diverse communities and fostered strategic collaboration with elected officials and community groups, as well as state departments, media agencies, and community-based organizations. In her new role as Public Affairs Director for the Campaign, Amanda will work closely with Vice President of Partnerships and Policy Engagement, Dr. Rita Gallardo-Good, to deepen the Campaign’s efforts to empower our coalitions through partnership with key allies in support of our work on behalf of students.

Meet

Vincent Rasso

SENIOR MANAGER OF STATE AND STUDENT AFFAIRS

As a former participant of our Student Leadership Institute (SLI), proud resident of the Inland Empire, and first-generation college graduate, Vincent Rasso has dedicated his career to ensuring that the Campaign and California support college access and student success, especially for minoritized students and communities. We first worked with Vincent in 2020 as he served as Chair of the Board for the University of California (UC) Student Association while California fought to reinstate affirmative action with Proposition 16. Since then, Vincent has brought energy and dedication to our student engagement and systems change work, growing our impact with state and student leaders through a variety of priority initiatives. Vincent holds the essential role of ensuring student voices remain central to the Campaign’s policy advocacy, research, events, and communications. He also oversees our SLI, the very Institute that trained him to become an advocate for students. Through SLI, Vincent is empowering students to engage in policy advocacy across the UC, California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges systems and supporting their leadership development. 

In his new role as Senior Manager of State and Student Affairs, Vincent will design and lead a new iteration of student engagement, recentering students as our North Star and catapulting efforts to design policy centered on and informed by students.