Financial Aid » Meet the Staff
Kara Moore, director of financial aid, was born and raised in Southern California, just down the 10 freeway in Beaumont. She graduated from the University of La Verne, majoring in Behavioral Science and Creative Art. Beyond working as Director of Financial Aid at Woodbury University and Holy Names University, Kara also operated a successful consulting business where she served as Interim Director for various universities and provided assistance in the areas of office management and operations review for financial aid offices. Kara is happy to return to her financial aid “roots” and the Claremont area. In her spare time, she listens to straight-ahead jazz and dabbles in the arts. You’ll likely see her walking her three dogs on campus and in the Village.
Nancy Medina, sr. associate director of financial aid, was born and raised in Bell Gardens, California and graduated from Bell Gardens High School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Occidental College. While a student at Occidental, Nancy was a work-study student in both the Admission and Financial Aid offices. After graduating, Nancy obtained a job as a Financial Aid Counselor at Occidental and worked there for eight years before coming to Pitzer. Nancy’s tasks include managing the Cal Grant program, overseeing the office’s software system, reviewing aid eligibility, and counseling students and their families. Nancy is also fluent in Spanish and is available to counsel Spanish-speaking families. When not at work, Nancy stays busy by caring for her son and her two cats. They are all a handful!
Catherine Acosta, assistant director of financial aid, was born and raised in Sanger, California and graduated from Sanger High School. She is a Pitzer alumna and earned a combined degree in Organizational Studies and Sociology. While a student at Pitzer, Catherine worked as a student assistant in both the Office of Admission and the Office of Student Affairs. Catherine’s day-to-day tasks include managing outside scholarships, processing educational loans and meeting with students and their families to discuss how to finance an education at Pitzer College. In addition, Catherine oversees the Federal Work-Study Program. When not at work, Catherine enjoys reading, baking and spending time with her family (especially her nieces).
John Moore, financial aid counselor, was born in Washington DC and raised in the Indianapolis area, graduating from Carmel High School. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Wabash College and a Master of Arts degree in English from DePaul University. Prior to working at Pitzer, John worked in advertising and media strategy, was an English teacher and managed an education program for a local nonprofit in Indianapolis. John’s tasks include student communications, managing the work-study program, reviewing aid eligibility and counseling students and their families. Outside of work, John loves to read and write, hike and go to the gym and spend time with his partner Anya.
Carla Valdez, financial aid specialist, was born and raised in Southern California. After graduating from Henry J. Kaiser High School, she attended Chaffey Community College and later transferred to Cal State San Bernardino where she earned her degree in Communication Studies. During her time at Cal State San Bernardino, Carla spent a semester abroad in South Korea. After graduating in 2016, she was eager to work in the world of higher education and was thrilled to find an opportunity to do so at Pitzer. In her free time, Carla loves playing basketball, planning road trips with her family and hanging out with friends.
