Our Team

Welcome to our Bear Closet community! We are so excited to meet you all!
Read on to find out what makes us passionate about Bear Closet.
Scroll down for individual bios!

Ryan Kamkar
​Founder & Advisor, Strategy and Development

Erinn Wong
Advisor, Strategy and Development

Marcelo Quijano
​Lead Facilitator & President

Hannah Herrick
Lead Facilitator,
​Co-Class Administrator & Vice President

Allison Rich
Communications Chair,
​External Affairs

Tess Werhane
Student Affairs Chair,
​External Affairs &
​Co-Class Administrator

Sierra Adachi
​Community Development Chair, Internal Affairs

Brittany Delay
Community Development Chair, Internal Affairs

Annie Chen
Co-Facilitator &
​External Affairs Intern

Reina Kohama
Co-Facilitator &
​Internal Affairs Intern

CURRENT OFFICERS

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(Pronouns: he/him)

Ryan Kamkar, Founder & Advisor, Strategy and Development

Hi y’all! My name is Ryan, and I have recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Public Health. I'm an avid volunteer for non-profit organizations that focus on community education and health. Growing up in an Iranian family and conservative city with limited exposure to LGBTQ+ community and history, I have always dreamt of creating an organization like Bear Closet that allows youth to reach out for support to stand against bullying and isolation from their peers. I’m super excited to continue working with our group of dedicated Bear Closet leaders!
​Fun facts: I am a fan of all music, from alternative/independent rock to classical (I played marimba in high school). I also enjoy traveling and meeting new people. Someday, I would love to go backpacking through other countries and learn about the unique cultural and life experiences each person has to share.

(Pronouns: she/her)

Erinn Wong, Advisor, Strategy and Development

Hello! My name is Erinn Wong, and I am a third-year at UC Berkeley studying Business and Media Studies! Joining Bear Closet in Spring 2018 as a student has been a healing and empowering experience for me because I was able to listen to others’ stories in the queer community, while learning more about my own queerness. My favorite part has been the people and the bonding, and I am so grateful to have been a facilitator these past three semesters. Bear Closet has given me so much as a class, space, and community, and I hope it will do the same for you! I’m excited for you to join us, and for us to keep making an impact!
​Fun Facts: I’m a proud first-generation Chinese American, who enjoys learning Chinese language and culture, and playing the Chinese yo-yo! I’m also an amateur beatboxer.

(Pronouns: he/him)

Marcelo Quijano, Lead Facilitator & President

​Hi everybody, my name is Marcelo Quijano, and I am a senior majoring in Anthropology and Integrative Biology! I identify myself as a bisexual man of color. I have been teaching Bear Closet for three semesters now, and I am very excited to meet this semester’s class! I decided to facilitate Bear Closet because I believe in the course’s mission and enjoy watching the growth of everyone who completes the course. In addition to Bear Closet, I am also serving as the President of Sigma Epsilon Omega, the gay and queer fraternity, and work at the library as an events coordinating assistant. A fun fact about me is that I am from San Salvador, El Salvador and immigrated into the U.S at the age of seven.

(Pronouns: she/they)

Hannah Herrick, Lead Facilitator, Co-Class Administrator & VP

​Hi! My name is Hannah Herrick, and I identify as bi/pansexual. I am a third-year student majoring in Social Welfare with a minor in LGBT Studies. I joined Bear Closet as a student in Fall 2018 and I am super excited to be a part of this community again as an officer! Before I joined Bear Closet I had never been exposed to a queer space, which I so desperately needed in high school. Being apart of a safe and welcoming community taught me so much about myself and my identity as well as what I want to do with my life. I want to continue to help create these queer spaces and ideally work with queer youth as a counselor or therapist. I think there is so much value in sharing one’s experiences to educate, spread hope, and to connect with those around you. I cannot wait to meet you all and share this community we have created.

(Pronouns: she/her)

Allison Rich, Communications Chair

Hi everyone! My name is Allison Rich, and I’m a 3rd year majoring in Environmental Economics and Policy. After being a student of Bear Closet in Spring 2019 and experiencing the warmness of this community, I decided to be more involved as an officer. I am so excited to be a part of an organization that provides a safe space for students to learn about queerness, allyship, intersectionality, and more. As this semester’s Communications chair, I will be dedicated to spreading our mission to middle and high schools through our speaking events. My past volunteer experience of tutoring youth in underserved communities has led me to my main goal of helping uplift the lives of others, and my studies thus far have allowed me to pinpoint my passion for environmental justice and equity. Come visit me working at UC Berkeley ReUSE, the campus thrift store, and we can discuss sustainability! I am inspired by Bear Closet’s ability to cultivate open collaboration and learning, as I know these principles will stay with me and guide me in my future endeavors. Can’t wait to meet you! ​

(Pronouns: she/her)

Tess Werhane, Student Affairs Chair & Co-Class Administrator

​Hi! My name is Tess Werhane, and I am originally from Colorado. I am currently a junior studying physics and applied math. I came out as gay in Spring of 2018 and joined Bear Closet in Fall 2018. Being a student in Bear Closet has been such a rewarding experience. I love being a part of such an awesome queer space that includes community outreach. This semester will be my first time as a facilitator and I am so excited to be in charge of student affairs. In this position, I serve as the liaison between Bear Closet and the Pacific Center and connect students with speaking opportunities.
In past semesters, I have been involved in dance on campus through AFX, ceramics at the
Berkeley art studio, and I am a member of Kappa Alpha Theta, a sorority on campus.

(Pronouns: she/her)

Annie Chen, Co-Facilitator & External Affairs Intern

Hello! My name is Annie Chen and I am a third year majoring in English and Social Welfare. I am from Taiwan but have also lived in Shanghai and Michigan. Bear Closet was my first queer community and it opened my eyes to how empowering it is to have a space and time dedicated specifically to learning and speaking about queer (and intersectional) identities. At the start of the DeCal, I had just come out and was very insecure about my identity so I am eternally grateful to Bear Closet for providing a safe community for me to express the entire range of my experience: from joy to pain to pride to uncertainty. Outside of Bear Closet, I am the president of Bears for Elder Welfare and facilitated a DeCal on Aging previously, so come chat if you want to volunteer with the elderly population! I am so honored to be able to continue being a part of this incredible community!

(Pronouns: she/her)

Sierra Adachi, Community Development Chair

Hi all! I'm Sierra Adachi, and I'm a third year double majoring in Linguistics and Spanish. I identify as straight and cisgender, and grew up with my two moms and gay sister. I joined Bear Closet in Fall 2018 to make new friends and learn about other people's experiences, and in the process shaped my own identity as a nonqueer person who grew up in largely queer spaces. I loved being part of a supportive and uplifting community, so I'm excited to continue as a facilitator alongside the friends I've met from previous semesters. I look forward to meeting more amazing people who care about each other and queer topics. I'm also a part of Peer Health Exchange, where I teach LGBTQ+ physical, mental, and sexual health workshops to Bay Area high schoolers. Bear Closet is truly a place for everyone, so all are welcome to join! I can't wait to meet everyone this fall! 

(Pronouns: she/her)

Brittany Delay, Community Development Chair

Hi all! My name is Brittany Delay, and I am so excited to be a member of the amazing Bear Closet team this semester! I’m in my second year at Cal, studying Media Studies and Gender and Women’s Studies, and I’m a proud member of the queer multicultural sorority Gamma Rho Lambda. I’m an out of state student from Texas, and growing up in the strict conservative environment of the south taught me just how necessary organizations like this one can be. Life may have have been a lot different and probably easier for me if I had been exposed to a resource like this in my youth. I am incredibly grateful that I now have the chance to be a part of that gift for some other person who may need it. Bear Closet is an opportunity that should not be taken for granted. It’s an experience you won’t forget, and one that will stay with you wherever you may go.

(Pronouns: she/her)

Reina Kohama, Co-Facilitator & Internal Affairs Intern

​Hi everyone! My name is Reina Kohama and I am a junior doing my exchange here at Cal for one year. I am originally from Japan, and my major is Global Studies. I joined Bear Closet in Fall 2019, which provided me with great opportunities to learn about and exchange thoughts on queerness, allyship, identities and more. Growing up in an environment under which I constantly felt the pressure to be cisgender and heterosexual, I think Gender Studies and queer communities such as this one is very important to create spaces for self/mutual understanding and acceptance for people with different identities. I am very excited about spending my last semester at Berkeley as one of the facilitators of this fantastic DeCal. Can’t wait to meet you!

past OFFICERS

(Pronouns: he/him)

Val Venegas, Fall '19 Facilitator

Hi everyone! My name is Val and I'm a second year intending on majoring in Architecture. This year, I'll be your Campus Outreach Coordinator, so if you want to learn more about events happening at the Queer Student Union or the Multicultural Community Center, let me know! If you go anywhere with me, prepare for frequent stops because I will stop to pet any/all dogs. My happy place is the beach and I also really enjoy listening to Khalid, Summer Walker & Clairo!

(Pronouns: she/her)

Joana Cabrera, Spring '19 Facilitator

​Hi! My name is Joana Cabrera. I am a recent graduate of Cal, and I am currently working as an R&D Engineer for the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub. Bear Closet was by far one of the most rewarding classes I took at Cal. It gave me the unique opportunity to learn about my community with some truly inspiring students. At the same time, I was able to give back to the LGBTQ community through local events and speaking opportunities. In addition to volunteering for Bear Closet, I design custom prosthetics for people with limb differences. In my free time, I like to pretend to know how to make a fancy cup of coffee, bother my friends, and get lost at music festivals. If you have any questions about Bear Closet or my volunteer work, feel free to contact me at joanacabrera@berkeley.edu.

(Pronouns: she/her)

Emma Roth, Spring '19 Facilitator

​Hi friends! My name is Emma Roth, and I’m in my second year at UC Berkeley! I am an intended psychology and sociology double major, as it is my passion to work with adolescents with mental health disorders. I discovered my interest in psychology through a research program I did from my sophomore to senior year of high school called The Center for Advanced Studies and Research. When I heard about Bear Closet, I knew that I had to join because it involved two of my callings: working with youth, and advocating for LGBTQ+ rights. While I myself identity as an ally to this community, I am extremely passionate and motivated to do what I can to contribute to the LGBTQ+ movement, as there are a plethora of close members in my life who are in this community. Bear Closet was undoubtedly the highlight of my first semester of college, and every meeting was a safe space for all who attended.
Fun Fact(s): I am a pescatarian (still haven’t managed to give up sushi);  I’m from Thousand Oaks, CA; I have 4 dogs; I LOVE musical theatre; I am drawn to research; I (kind of) speak French, and I’m a Gemini!

(Pronouns: she/they)

Olivia Hanson, Spring '18 Facilitator

​Hi, my name is Olivia Hanson! You can call me Liv. I am a recent graduate of UC Berkeley, and majored in Sociology with a minor in Theater & Performance Studies. I consider myself an artist, student activist, and ecofeminist from Los Angeles. I have tutored students in Gender Studies, Marriage and Family, and human sexuality. I have been practicing hip hop and modern dance throughout my life. I am also a visual artist and have a passion for making music videos and dance films. I was a student in Bear Closet Fall 2017 and co-facilitated Spring 2018. A fun fact about me is that I am a vegetarian and enjoy long sunny days on the beach, and sneaking into music festivals. Can’t wait to meet you!