Who We Are

Elizabeth Massengale, Ph.D - Assistant Vice Provost 

Elizabeth has worked in various areas in Higher Education for 25 years. She currently serves as an Assistant Vice Provost, Student Support and Success at Texas Tech University. Her experiences include: Parent and Family Relations, Student Involvement and Activities, Students of Concern, Student Basic Needs, and Student Success. 

 

Ariana Hernandez - Director

Ariana is the Director for the Raider Relief- Advocacy and Resource Center (RR-ARC). Prior to assuming this role in 2022, she served as Assistant Director of College Connect. Ariana is a Texas Tech University graduate with a Bachelor's in English. She also has her master's degree from Angelo State University in Student Development and Leadership in Higher Education. At the RR-ARC, she works with Lubbock area agencies and Texas Tech's colleges, departments, and administrative units to provide and support the needs of students and connect them with the most essential resources required to achieve academic goals. Those needs include but are not limited to food, housing, financial education, and basic living supplies (clothing, kitchen essentials, toiletries, etc.). 

Isaiah Ortiz - Assistant Director 

Isaiah is the Assistant Director for the Raider Relief – Advocacy and Resource Center (RR-ARC), where he oversees the daily operations and management of Raider Red's food pantry. He will also support programming related to RR's food pantry in areas such as training, outreach, marketing & promotions, program development, and organization. With a background of 10 years in leadership, staff development, program development, and community outreach, Isaiah brings extensive expertise to his role at the RR-ARC. Prior to joining the team, Isaiah served as the Director of Children's Feeding Programs at the South Plains Food Bank, where he led the daily operations of the food bank's central kitchen and distributed over 700,000 meals annually to children in a 20-county service area. Isaiah's commitment to fighting child hunger in West Texas led him to build strong partnerships with community organizations such as area Boys & Girls Clubs, community centers, and surrounding school districts. Isaiah's work at the food bank focused on ensuring that children had access to free meals through after-school and summer meal programs, as well as a weekend backpack program. Isaiah's leadership skills and dedication to his work have had a significant impact on the community's access to healthy meals. Isaiah is excited to be part of the RR-ARC team and looks forward to having the opportunity to serve the TTU community and have a positive impact on the students' lives and success.

When Isaiah is not in the kitchen experimenting with new recipes, chances are you might find him at his favorite Thai restaurant. In his free time, Isaiah enjoys spending time traveling, hanging out with family and friends, as well as staying active with his dogs.  

Veronica Camarillo - Program Manager

Veronica serves as the Program Manager for the Raider Relief – Advocacy and Resource Center. She is a native Texan from the Hill Country. Veronica has worked for Texas Tech University for over 15 years previously in Parent and Family Relations and Student Financial Aid & Scholarships. She enjoys spending time with her family, shopping, decorating, and cooking. 

 

Cindy Garza- Program Director

Cindy is the Program Director- Former Foster Youth. She has a Bachelor's and Master's in Human Development and Family Studies from Texas Tech University. Her Master's thesis focused on former foster youth and their experiences with caregivers after aging out and is titled “Foster Youth Aging Out of Foster Care and their Relationships with Caregivers.” She has worked with foster youth as an after-care case manager and mentor. Cindy previously worked at Hub City Outreach Center as an Advanced Certified Prevention Specialist (ACPS) and Youth Prevention Director. She has continued to work with foster care organizations to provide presentations on life skills and her own lived personal experiences aging out of foster care. She enjoys spending time with her husband, family, and her two dogs Raider and Rosy.