Meet the Leadership Team
Program Director
Raúl Aguilera
Raúl Aguilera brings years of experience working with youth in Santa Barbara County. Originally born in Jalisco, Mexico, Raúl migrated to Santa Barbara at the age of eight with his family and has since lived here, enjoying the wonderful weather, mountains, and beaches that Santa Barbara offers. He started his professional career as a Relationship Banker at Bank of America but joined the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara when he rediscovered his passion for working with students. Like many of the students that REACH serves, he was a first-generation student who did not have equitable access to resources like his peers, but he did not let that stop him from achieving his education. He earned three associate degrees from Santa Barbara City College, his bachelor’s degree in Spanish with emphasis in Language and Culture from CSU Northridge, and his master’s in Educational Leadership and Administration from Cal Poly. He sees education as a privilege that everyone should have access to and should not be limited due to the circumstances that one is brought in. Raúl is extremely ecstatic to work with REACH students, helping them beyond their academic endeavors as they find their way through life, shaping their own experiences.
Outdoor Program Manager
Rob Balloch
Rob joined REACH in January 2022 as the Program Manager. Rob has come to REACH with years of experience working in Wilderness Therapy, Outdoor Education, and Technical Mountain Guiding. Prior to REACH Rob worked at Open Sky Wilderness therapy as a Senior III Field guide. This experience inspired Rob’s passion for helping young people through outdoor experiences and community building. Rob has led peers and young adults on countless outdoor expeditions in the wilderness, including but not limited to teaching rock-climbing, white-water kayaking/ rafting, skiing, and mountaineering for a variety of programs and as an independent instructor. Rob is excited to work for REACH because he believes he can help expand the types and number of outdoor experiences they offer to students.
Academic Program Manager
Silvia Ramirez Garcia
Silvia was born and raised in Santa Maria, California. Her family is originally from Oaxaca, Mexico, a beautiful state with vibrant energy. She is a first-generation college graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Social Welfare and a minor in Global Poverty and Practice. After graduating from Berkeley, she began working in the public health sector for the city of San Francisco, serving vulnerable populations and navigating care systems to ensure successful connections and improve care management. While doing this work, she saw how much personal development and encouragement dictated young people’s quality of life and ability to be a functional part of society. This prompted her to begin working with youth. She is grateful to be part of the REACH team, where she’ll provide mentorship to motivated individuals beginning their paths into adulthood. As a former REACH alumna, she can confidently attest to the efforts of the program and the ongoing support that she has received from REACH staff and peers.
Program Coordinator
Natalie Torres
Natalie was born and raised in the Central Coast. She is the proud daughter of immigrant parents of Mexican and Ecuadorian descent, two beautiful countries that Natalie has had the opportunity to explore by conducting qualitative research, volunteering in nonprofits, and traveling its lands to have a deeper understanding of their rich history and cultura. She is a first-generation college graduate from Cal State Monterey Bay, where she earned her B.A. in Social Sciences with a concentration in conservation and a Spanish minor from the University of Granada. Natalie received her M.A. in Social Sciences: Environment and Community at Cal Poly Humboldt. At the core of Natalie’s personal and professional goals are to share her passion and respect for the environment, particularly her first love- the ocean. When volunteering at Quito for a local nonprofit, Natalie brought the ocean to her students as she taught them about its marine ecosystems and shared her love for the ocean. When she’s not working, Natalie is trying new food joints, paddle boarding, or training for her next Morro Bay Triathlon. Natalie is excited to be part of the REACH team as she hopes to be the bridge for students to reach their full potential by doing educational outreach while exposing them to the outdoors.
