Meet our Staff

Daniela Pareja

Graduate Assistant for Retention

Hello! My name is Daniela Pareja, and I am thrilled to be joining the CASA team as a Retention and Program Coach. Here at Villanova, I will also be pursuing my Master of Science in School Counseling!

I am a first-generation US citizen with dual citizenship in Argentina. I grew up in South Jersey, very close to Philadelphia so I feel connected to the city. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) where I fell in love with working with people. At TCNJ, I was an Honors Peer Mentor, a College Ambassador (AKA tour guide), a member of the i-Tunes Acapella group, and I was in a Cognitive Psychology research lab for two years. As a Peer Mentor, I got to work closely with freshmen and help with their transition to college which sparked my passion for helping others. I look forward to applying the mentorship and counseling skills I have gained to my position as a GA and in my master’s program.

When I am not at work or school, I love to play the ukulele, guitar, piano and sing. I also love going to the beach and doing yoga. I am so excited to start this new chapter at Villanova and to meet the wonderful students at CASA. Please feel free to visit me or stop by to say hello. I look forward to meeting you!

Casey Diaz

Graduate Assistant, CASA and Campus Ministry

Hello, my name is Casey Diaz (she/they) and I am pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Science. My assistantship is split between CASA and Campus Ministry: in CASA, I help with data collection and special projects, while in Campus Ministry I help plan Service and Justice Experiences (SJEs).

Although I was born and raised in South Jersey, I graduated in 2017 from Occidental College in Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in Critical Theory and Social Justice. During my undergraduate studies, I volunteered and interned at several nonprofits that focused on prison reform and abolition, education equity, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and animal welfare. On campus, my favorite club was Dance Production, which culminated in an entirely student-run dance showcase every March.

After graduating from Occidental, I was an AmeriCorps Member for City Year Philadelphia, which involved tutoring and mentoring middle school students. After City Year, I worked for four years at a charter school in NE Philly, completing state reports and data entry.

My love for the outdoors is what prompted my decision to return to school, which will hopefully result in a career shift to nature conservation and preservation. I also hope to improve accessibility to local, state, and national parks so that physical ability and economic factors are less significant barriers."