Vanessa Cruz Santana

Admission, Administration
805-684-4127 x261
vanessa_cruzsantana@cate.org


BS, Hamilton College
MSEd, University of Pennsylvania
Appointed: 2018

Vanessa Cruz-Santana first arrived at Cate as a 9th-grade student from Santa Ana, California, through the A Better Chance program. A 2006 Cate graduate, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Hamilton College and her master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania.

Vanessa began her career in admissions at Cate in 2010, then moved to New York City to work in kindergarten through middle school admissions before returning to Cate as Director of Financial Assistance in 2018. She values Cate’s commitment to holistic education and its vibrant community.

Vanessa is a dorm parent, student advisor, and avid sports fan, especially baseball and football. She lives on campus with her husband and toddler son, and her Nike sneaker collection is ever-growing.