Anissa joined the Women’s Fund in 2025 to connect with inspiring women leaders and to give back to the community in a thoughtful, strategic way. A professional development specialist with over 25 years of experience in public education, she’s worn many hats—from high school social studies teacher to K–12 teacher educator to continuing education professor. Today, she serves as Activities Director for a Title V grant program at UC Santa Barbara, where she helps minoritized and low-income students in the humanities and social sciences engage in—and complete—transformative undergraduate research projects. When she’s not championing student success, you’ll likely find her wine tasting, curled up with a good book, or strolling along Shoreline Drive.