• Financial Aid
• Meet the Staff

Meet the Staff

Vince Cuseo, vice president for admission and financial aid

Vince joined Oxy in 1999. He previously served as director of admission at Grinnell College, with prior admission stints at Stanford University, Santa Clara University, and Boston College. A native New Yorker, he’s a philosophy graduate of Fordham University who earned his master's at Columbia’s Teachers College. 

 

Maureen McRae, director of financial aid

Maureen, a past president of the California Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (CASFAA), has been involved in leadership positions in many state, regional, and national financial aid associations. She brings more than 30 years of experience in the field of financial aid. She began at her alma mater, the University of Redlands, and served as associate dean of financial aid at Glendale Community College. In between she took a break to earn her master's degree at the University of Sheffield in England.

 

Craig Organek, associate director of financial aid

Craig joined the Oxy Financial Aid team in 2012. He earned his M.Ed in Educational Administration from the University of Massachusetts in 2006. Originally from upstate New York, he earned his Undergraduate degree from the University at Albany and has been actively working in Financial Aid for over 13 years.

 

 

Gina Becerril, senior assistant director of financial aid

Gina earned her master's degree from Stanford and is a 1999 graduate of UCLA. She came to Oxy from the Fulfillment Fund, where she served as the scholarship program coordinator and worked with economically disadvantaged students, helping them with the transition from high school to college. Gina’s responsibilities include counseling families, administering federal student loan programs, and community outreach.

 

Nancy Medina '07, senior financial aid counselor

Nancy is a 2007 graduate of Occidental with a distinction in history. As a student, she worked for both the Admission and Financial Aid offices. Nancy's responsibilities include counseling families, coordinating outside scholarships, Cal Grants, and work study programs.

 

 

Gracie Peralta, administrative assistant

Gracie is a Los Angeles native and graduated from UCLA with a degree in history. Gracie is dedicated to helping students succeed and enjoys being part of the Occidental community.

 

 

Jean Gaudern, financial aid operations assistant

Jean came to work at Occidental in October 2000, after working in tax preparation and medical billing. Jean ensures that paperwork finds its way to its proper place. She helps create a warm and friendly climate for Occidental students.

 

 

 

Celia McTigue '13, student intern Celia is a fourth-year student from Chevy Chase, Maryland, majoring in Diplomacy and World Affairs, with a minor in French. Last fall Celia studied abroad in Dakar, Senegal.

Brandi Locke, ’13, student intern Brandi is a fourth-year student from New York majoring in American Studies.

Sarah Shirley '14, student intern Sarah is a third-year student from Santa Clarita. She is an English and Comparative Literary Studies major. For fall 2012, Sarah is studying abroad at the University of East Anglia in England.

Teresa Mojarro ’15, student intern Tere is a second-year student from Los Angeles. Tere is considering a major in Psychology and interested in becoming an RN.

Julius DiLorenzo '16, student intern Julius is a first-year student from Chicago. Julius is considering a major in Biology with plans to attend medical school.