Deborah Jansen is Program Director and Instructor for Academic Excellence at CYC. She has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Southern California and a Masters in Business Administration from the Harvard Business School.

She worked in strategic planning and consulting and retired from McKesson Corporation, a medical and pharmaceutical company, where she held various positions including Executive Vice President Marketing.

Shortly thereafter, she started volunteering at CYC. She also leads the Finance Committee at De La Salle High School and is a board member of the CYC and JCM Partners, a privately held real estate company. She is married and has two sons, both De La Salle and CYC alumni, who are now in college.

Benjamin James Newton received his Bachelor's Degree from Antioch College in Literature and his Master's Degree from Antioch University in Creative Writing: Fiction.  He has worked as a tutor and educational assistant for over seven years at various institutions including Diablo Valley College, Antioch College and, of course, Community Youth Center.  At CYC he is the Instructor in the Academic Excellence room in Building Three which is designed for Kindergarten through 6th grade students.  He brings to CYC a passion for education as well as a desire to nourish the personal development of his students as they become adults in the world.

Janice Javier is a Program Director and an Academic Excellence Instructor at CYC. She is a University of California, Berkeley graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Biology. Janice originally came to CYC as a Dance Coach and brings her love of math, science, and the performing arts to the Academic Excellence Team!

Ashley Stolhand  received her BA in Spanish Language and Literature from UCLA in 2008 and is now pursuing a Masters in Teaching from USC. At the CYC, she especially enjoys challenging and encouraging students in their writing and critical analysis while helping them to achieve their highest potential. Originally from Wisconsin, Ashley spends her free time enjoying the warm weather of the East Bay and frequently hikes in the nearby mountains.