Crystal Lopez

Crystal Arlene Lopez is the Assistant Program Director for the Bruin Guardian Scholars (BGS) at UCLA. She holds a graduate degree in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from California State University, Fullerton. With over a decade of experience at the intersection of education, wellness, and student advocacy, Crystal brings a holistic, equity-centered approach to everything she does.

In her current role, Crystal oversees student support services, scholarship processes, community-building initiatives, and cross-campus partnerships that expand access to resources for current and former foster youth and students who have experienced housing instability. She has also taken on expanded programmatic leadership responsibilities, further deepening her commitment to building systems that center students' lived experiences and long-term success.

Before joining BGS, Crystal served in key roles at UCLA, as Faculty Services Coordinator for the Geffen Academy and Program Manager for the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics, where she supported large student populations, collaborated with academic leadership, and strengthened operational systems that enhance the student experience. Her earlier work as a science educator at Opportunities for Learning and as an oral health education specialist further grounded her dedication to equity, access, and community-centered care.

Crystal is a proud alumna of the Guardian Scholars Program at CSU Fullerton and shares lived experiences with many of the students she now serves. As a first-generation Latina college graduate who experienced housing instability and adversity as a young person, she understands firsthand what it means to navigate higher education without a roadmap and the profound difference the right people in your corner can make.

She believes that people are like plants: we need sunlight, nourishment, movement, and care to grow. Outside of BGS, Crystal finds her own grounding through cooking and baking, yoga, working out, traveling, and learning from the stories of others, the same practices she encourages in the students she supports.

Crystal is committed to the power of education to transform lives and is honored to walk alongside BGS students as they navigate their UCLA journey and build the futures they envision.