Yazleen Alonso (she/her/hers) is a passionate higher education professional and certified financial coach through The Center for Financial Social Work. She holds a Master’s in Education (M.Ed.) with an emphasis in Student Affairs from UCLA, and earned her bachelor's degrees in Ethnic Studies and Spanish Literature from UC Riverside.

Yazleen currently serves as the Financial Wellness Program Manager at UC Riverside within the university’s Financial Aid Office. In this role, she empowers students to build strong financial foundations through education, tailored resources, and individualized guidance. Her journey into financial education began in 2019, when she first collaborated with Sara as a graduate student intern—a formative experience that ignited her passion for financial wellness and its powerful impact on daily life.

To Yazleen, “Financial wellness is not just about money—it’s about our peace of mind, our ability to enjoy life, and our confidence.” As a first-generation college graduate and daughter of immigrants, she understands the silence and tension that often surround financial conversations in many households. That’s why this work is so meaningful to her: it’s about giving people the tools and confidence they may not have grown up with.

Yazleen specializes in working with college students—particularly first-generation and parenting students—and her areas of expertise include financial aid, budgeting, credit, identity theft prevention, and investing.

Fun Facts: In her free time, she enjoys diving into thriller, mystery, and romance novels, unwinding with her favorite TV shows, baking sweet treats, and relaxing with paint-by-number kits.