When CEF’s Grants and Operations Manager Priscilla Zamora was nine years old, she walked into a new classroom in a new country, not speaking English. She grew up in a small village in Baja California, Mexico, and her family had recently moved to San Lorenzo, California.
She was greeted in Spanish by her fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Cotcher, who told Zamora she would learn alongside everyone else. That moment of belief from an educator stayed with her.
It is the same belief — that every child can thrive despite their current circumstances — that she carries into her work at Chamberlin Education Foundation (CEF), supporting the students and teachers of West Contra Costa public schools.
Not just belief, but determination. From a young age, Zamora was focused and goal-oriented.
“I hated the fact that I didn’t know how to speak the language,” Zamora said. “I set a personal goal to reclassify as soon as possible.” She achieved that goal in less than three years.
Two years after arriving in the country, she received the President’s Award for Educational Excellence, signed by Bill Clinton, part of a national program recognizing academic achievement at the elementary level.
Today, Zamora is CEF’s Grants and Operations Manager. If you are a teacher who has applied for a Gratitude Grant, a community partner, or a recipient of the Premio Julie Wright Changemaker, she is the person behind the emails you received, the person responsible for ensuring the process runs smoothly.
Her first big project with CEF was the Gratitude Grants program, which she has supported since 2022. Gratitude Grants provide West Contra Costa public school teachers with $300 grants to supply their classrooms, fund special projects, or cover material costs.
With over a thousand applications each year, the program requires careful project management. For Zamora, it also gave her an opportunity to work directly with teachers. She knows the difference they can make because she lived it.
“It’s really nice to be able to connect with the teacher and support them through the process,” she said. “Lately, they have been sending us pictures about how they utilized the funds, and we’re getting some really cool narratives of science projects, celebrations, and new books added to their library. It’s really cool to see that impact.”
Zamora also manages CEF’s Community Giving Initiative, and supports the development of internal tools to help manage and streamline CEF’s grantmaking more effectively. Her work is not only operational, but relational, allowing for CEF to partner with schools and community organizations across West Contra Costa.
Zamora has spent years working inside schools and education organizations. Her six years working at Aspire Public Schools helped shape how she understands public education and the role she wants to play in it. She supported 11 public schools across the Bay Area as Special Projects Manager, and witnessed the heavy lift that principals and teachers carry every day to keep schools running well.
“I built strong relationships across campuses and gained a deep appreciation for the behind the scenes work that makes teaching and learning possible,” she said. “That experience grounded me in the daily realities educators and support staff face.”
At Aspire, Zamora managed projects but also systems. She coordinated and led the Operations Community of Practice to provide professional development and support for school operations staff. She helped transition schools from paper based systems to digital enrollment platforms, and strengthened compliance processes.
She also supported community outreach for the opening of new schools in West Contra Costa, Aspire Richmond Technology Academy and Aspire Richmond California College Preparatory Academy.
Her time at Aspire taught her that lasting impact in education requires both strong leadership and strong operations, a lesson she carries with her throughout her career.
Immediately prior to joining the CEF team, Priscilla served as the Director of Operations at Families in Action for Quality Education (FIA), where she played an integral role in helping a new organization expand and thrive. It was a role that pushed her to build infrastructure and create systems as the organization grew rapidly.
“It was an opportunity for me to grow in my project management and entrepreneurial skills,” Zamora said. “It makes me feel very proud of what the organization has accomplished, proud of the people who supported it, and how we all grew as a team.”
Kimi Kean, CEO and Co-founder of Families in Action, witnessed Zamora’s growth mindset up close.
“Priscilla has been the consummate learner,” Kean said. “She pays attention to the mission and brings a lens of excellence to all that she does. She’s always eager to solve problems by learning new approaches and does whatever it takes to reach the goals that are most important to the organization.”
Kean added, “Families in Action will always have Priscilla’s imprint of excellence and learning, thanks to her tenure with us.”
Her experience at FIA gave Zamora a unique perspective. Instead of supporting a single organization, at CEF she could now amplify her impact across multiple groups working for better student outcomes.
Zamora was drawn to CEF’s focus on ensuring kids learn to read and do math so they can pursue the futures of their choice. She brings a strong respect for school-based teams and a commitment to building systems and partnerships that make their work more sustainable and effective.
Education was always the priority in Zamora’s family. She grew up hearing the story of her grandfather, who organized and advocated to build a middle school in their rural town and loaded kids into the back of his truck to drive them to high school.
“That story was always very powerful and very motivating,” Zamora said.
At the core of her work is a belief in the power of students and families. She can see herself in the students her work serves.
“Children face life challenges at any age,” she said. “But when families, schools, and community members commit to both supporting and challenging them toward ownership and excellence, I believe students can rise, grow and discover what they’re capable of.”
That early moment of belief from her fourth grade teacher has stayed with her. Mrs. Cotcher’s challenge resonated deeply: keep learning, keep growing, no matter the circumstances. That lesson became a guiding principle in many areas of her life. It is the same quality that those who know her best have seen ever since.
Kean has watched Zamora bring that same belief and determination to every organization she has touched.
“Priscilla is a game changer wherever she goes because she operates from such a core of commitment to people, to the organization, and to the mission,” Kean said. “I remember so many conversations where we were able to unpack progress, decipher root causes, and think together about how to overcome them.”
“Priscilla was always a ball of energy and excitement for trying those strategies out.”
