ashley Gamez

Ashley is a Career Coach here at Project Next, where she gets to do what she loves most — helping students see the possibilities ahead of them and take that next confident step toward their goals. As part of her work, she's proud to be involved with A Step Beyond, supporting students on their journey.

Ashley graduated last year, so she knows firsthand how exciting — and sometimes overwhelming — figuring out your career path can be. She earned her associate's degree from Palomar College and her bachelor's in Marketing from CSUSM, where she stayed deeply involved in the College of Business — from working in the COBA Student Success Center to representing COBA in student government to serving as CMO and later VP of the Latino Business Student Association.

Her path hasn't been a straight line — she's built experience in marketing, communications, and student engagement, studied abroad in Germany, Austria, and Italy, and interned in Madrid, Spain. She's also bilingual in Spanish. All of these experiences shape how she coaches: with an open mind, a global perspective, and a genuine belief that everyone deserves someone in their corner.

Outside of her professional work, Ashley loves to travel and learn new languages, and has a master's degree on her someday to-do list — she's still deciding where and in what.

Ashley has a special passion for supporting first-generation students as they navigate their careers, because she understands that sometimes, you just need the right conversation to move forward.

Passion for Joining the Team/Mission: I am excited to join this team because I believe in the transformative power of education and am dedicated to creating equitable opportunities for every student to thrive. I look forward to empowering students with knowledge and resources about financial aid and financial literacy, enabling them to achieve their goals and unlock their full potential without the hurdles of financial uncertainty.