Meet the Nina Scholars Staff

Jo Ann Martinez

Program Director, Principal Investigator, & Program Instructor
(602) 496-1771 | [email protected]

Jo Ann López Martínez grew up in Parker, Arizona. She attended Arizona State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Chicana/o Studies followed by a Master of Education degree in Higher Education. Her first professional experience led her to work as a Program Advisor at Mesa Community College where she also briefly taught Introduction to Chicano Studies and Sociology of the Chicano Community. Later, she returned to ASU and led the Barrett Summer Scholars program, a summer residential camp for gifted Arizona middle school students, then as a liaison for ASU Preparatory Academy Phoenix, a charter school in partnership with ASU, and followed by serving as the Program Director of the Hispanic Mother-Daughter program. Currently, she supports students of the ASU Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program. She looks forward to making an impact on future first-generation college students, their families and their communities, and on continuing her crusade in promoting higher education! She is married and has two children. She recently completed a Doctor of Education degree in Leadership and Innovation from ASU.

Cynthia Alaffa

Program Coordinator & Program Instructor
Nina Scholars
[email protected]

Cynthia Alaffa grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She attended Arizona State University as a first-generation student. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social work from ASU and two Master’s degrees, in Social Work and Higher Education, also from ASU. During her time as a student at ASU, she worked with two programs as a mentor that guided students through their higher education journey. Upon completing her graduate programs, she decided to venture out and dedicated 2.5 years as a school social worker. Although school social work was very rewarding, she found that her heart was leading her back to working in higher education. Cynthia has always had a passion for serving students and helping them along their educational journey. Cynthia is also an alumnus of foster care and has used her personal experiences through higher education to support and help students grow. She believes that when students have the proper people and tools supporting them on their journey, they can succeed in anything they do. Outside of work, Cynthia loves to travel and experiences new places. She also enjoys working on herself in the gym.