Mai Gee
Cultural Diversity Specialist
Mai Gee has 10 years of social work experience and initially
started her journey as a
mental
health counselor. In 2018, she transitioned to Alta California
Regional center and dived into her work as a Service
Coordinator in a children’s unit. Her experience
would continue to grow as she moved into a role as an Intake
Specialist where she helped families navigate and complete
the intake process.
How One Family Navigated a Successful Transition During a Challenging Time
Shared by the Association of Regional Center Agencies
Jimmy, a cheerful and adventurous 15-year-old with autism, had a strong bond with his father, Jim. When Jim, a children’s book author and English as a Second Language teacher, passed away in a tragic car accident in 2021, Jimmy and his mother, Beatriz, were left in a state of uncertainty and hesitation about how to move forward with the developmental disabilities services system to adjust their blend of services to meet Jimmy’s unique needs.
Kenisha
Client Services Manager
Kenisha is a veteran and has 15 years of social work experience.
She first fell in love 
with
social work when she attended an Individual Education Program
(IEP) meeting for her brother, a client of the regional
center, as a sophomore in college. During the meeting, she
was impressed with the Service Coordinator and how she advocated
for Kenisha’s brother. Her interest was peaked, and she
embarked on entering the service delivery system.
Shamir
Service Coordinator
Shamir has been employed with Alta California Regional Center for
6 months, but has 
provided
social care throughout his life. Caring for the community is a
big part of his heritage. As a member of the Choctaw tribe,
providing healing both medically and spiritually has been
fundamental in his upbringing.
Abby
Dancer and Model Citizen
Abby is a client of the regional center and an accomplished
dancer. She is very
involved in the
Pow Wow arena and performed in the Nutcracker as an angel. Abby
is an enrolled member of the 3 affiliated tribes Mandan,
Hidatsa, and Arikara. She is an ambassador for her people and
will share her culture by taking time to visit her cousins’
schools and educating the students on her heritage. She enjoys
sharing stories, dancing and singing.
Will
Proud Member of the Yurok Tribe
Will is a proud card-carrying Native American of Yurok, a
northern California tribe and
is a client of Alta California Regional Center. He has
visited the reservation and enjoys interacting with his
community. His tribe is known for being experts at fishing and
were the first people to build canoes for both fresh and
salt water. They also are creative basket weavers, some of
which were featured in an exhibit at the Steinhart Aquarium
in San Francisco.
Luis
Service Coordinator
Luis began his career in social work with Passport to Learning in
2019. His experience in 
hospitality
and sales gave him expert skills in communication and he learned
how to interact with people of different backgrounds and needs.
But he knew he wanted to make a change in his career that would
allow him to help others and make a positive impact. Initially he
dreamed of becoming a probation officer for youth. Luis found the
profession of social work aligned with his goals and led him to a
job with Alta California Regional Center.
Emily
Service Coordinator
Emily is a Service Coordinator for Early Intervention, with 20
years of social work experience.
She
has primarily worked with youth, starting off her career with
providing services for emotionally disturbed children. She moved
on to child action, which provided subsidized child care for low
income families. Eventually, she would find her way to Alta
California Regional Center (ACRC) in the Early Intervention unit.
John
Special Olympics Swimmer and Bowler
John is a Special Olympic gold medal winner who takes immense joy and pride in being a swimmer. However, he didn’t learn about his interest in swimming until high school. Before this interest blossomed, he struggled with behavioral issues and had no outlet to allow his personality to flourish.
Ben (also known as Seth)
Living independently!
Ben (also known as Seth) lives a well-rounded life where he
enjoys his work, his
hobbies, and
feels pride for his accomplishments. He wanted to live an
independent life and has achieved that with education
and persistence. In addition to his professional life, Ben
is somewhat an adrenaline junkie and enjoys
chasing the thrill rollercoasters provide.
Reyva
Advocate and Parent
Reyva is soon to be a graduate of Sacramento State with a
Bachelor’s degree in Social 
Work, a mother and an advocate for herself and for her daughters.
Despite a tumultuous upbringing and becoming disabled at the age
of 4 months, Reyva always felt motivated to prove to herself that
she is capable and can achieve all of her goals. Now, she is
excited to begin her career and be a role model for herself and
for others.
Crystal
Filmmaker and Director
Crystal realized she had an interest in film early on. In high school, she went to the Sacramento Film Festival and fell in love with filmmaking. She would rent books on screenwriting and teach herself how to write for movies. She always had an active imagination, and she puts it to use through her writing.
Xavier
Thriving and Growing
When Xavier’s parents, Samantha and Thomas, received his post-natal diagnosis of Down Syndrome, they were worried. The initial expectations every parent has for their child melted away. The primary concern was Xavier’s health; he was born 3 weeks early and was sent to the NIC-U to be provided early care.
Jason
Comic Book Artist and Creator
Jason is a naturally artistic
person with a mind designed for creativity. He has created
characters, designed t-shirts, and is even developing a comic
book! Jason is ambitious and goal-driven, spending most of his
time developing and perfecting his passions. He persevered
through the difficulties of having expressive and receptive
language disorder and Autism, finding a way that works for him to
not only create and express himself, but also generate income and
build a business.
Ariel
Child Model
Being a parent always brings a sense of joy, and for Kristal it brought double when she learned she was pregnant with twins! However, it wasn’t until she gave birth to her premature girls, Ariel and Katalina, that she learned that Ariel has Down Syndrome. Kristal’s labor was a tumultuous experience, so when she was told about Ariel’s disability, she had to cope with the difficulties that lay ahead. Despite the complications of having a child with Down Syndrome, what they gained was a new world filled with possibilities.
Steven
Volunteer and Teacher
Steven is a well-rounded person who
enjoys spending his time volunteering for committees, teaching
children about disabilities, and watching movies. He is an
articulate individual and advocates for people with developmental
disabilities. Despite living in the midst of a pandemic, Steven
maintains a positive outlook on life and is patiently waiting to
decide what his future has in store while maintain his membership
with committees at Alta California Regional Center (ACRC).