Eddy M. Gana Jr., MSW, ACSW, is from Union City and based in Los Angeles, California. He graduated from UC Irvine with BAs in Psychology and Criminology, UCLAx with Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counseling, and USC with Master of Social Work. With clinical experience across home, school, and medical settings, he is a spoken word artist of Steady, the Secretary-General and former Chairperson of Kabataang maka-Bayan/Pro-People Youth; a Co-Founder and Resident Host of Sunday Jump, and a counselor of Search to Involve Pilipino Americans in Historic Filipinotown. Inspired by people's stories, he believes in the therapeutic elements of self-expression for personal growth and greater social change.
Stephanie Sajor is a Pilipinx-American writer, graphic designer, and web developer from Los Angeles. As a co-founder of Sunday Jump and spoken word collective forWord, she has performed at the LA Theater Center, MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, Brava Theater in San Francisco, the Museum of Tolerance, and more. She has also been published in Asian American Literary Review and Salamin Magazine. She is a former Chairperson and Executive Committee member of KmB/Pro-People Youth. As an organizer, she believes that the arts serve as an important avenue for developing community activists, and allow her to constantly explore, process, define, confront, and redefine her identity and place in the struggle as a Pilipinx woman.
DJ Won (aka Xuan Espinoza) is a beat maker and sound selector from Baldwin Park, California. An avid supporter of hip hop as a tool for organization and expression. Many of his gigs have been located at open mics, galleries, fundraisers and community gatherings. Currently he is in the works for releasing a mixtape and side project. DJ Won’s music is free to download at: djwon.bandcamp.com.
Jaynese 'Ladybug' Poole from South Central, Los Angeles and Compton, California is a poet, dancer and screenwriter. She has been working with Street Poets Inc., performing spoken word, organizing community events, and holding safe spaces for youth throughout Los Angeles County and beyond. She is also a member of 4CLab, a non-profit, providing opportunities for young creative visionaries to share their stories through artistic expression.
Recently graduated from Seattle University, she has a passion for social justice issues, empowering individuals through the arts, event planning and food. She hopes to work more with organizations to provide more services and opportunities for low income communities and have her own Filipino cafe. She has interned with nonprofits such as Powerful Voices, Hing Hay Coworks, & Idea Space. She has also spoken on Young Educated Ladies Leading (Y.E.L.L.) Conference on the Professional Women of Color Panel to help inspire young women of color to be interested in higher education. Through Sunday Jump, she hopes to learn more about different perspectives and issues going on through community members.
Samantha J. Magat is a young womxn straight from Baldwin Park. She is an aspiring poet, singer, and rapper. But most of all, she is hoping to put more of her ambition towards her photography. Her hopes are to capture the things we cannot see with the naked eye, things we cannot touch but we know is there. She hopes to take pictures that not only speak a thousand words, but make people feel a thousand emotions. If there is one thing in life she has learned through photography it is that in order to understand one thing, you must be able to see everything, perspective is key.
Marco Manriquez is a Videographer and Graphic Designer based out of Orange County, California. He has a Bachelor’s in Chicano/a Studies from Cal State Fullerton. He really enjoys playing soccer, listening to music and going to artistic/art events. As a videographer he believes that capturing the moments that make us laugh, cry, and smile are priceless.
Therese is a digital storyteller from San Fernando Valley, California. While navigating several learning experiences as a journalism and marketing student, Therese found an interest in giving underrepresented voices a chance to be heard. In doing so, she has been a member of the Filipino American Student Association at Cal State Northridge as public relations chair, and has worked as a public relations intern in the entertainment industry for several clients. She believes that social media and marketing is a powerful tool in organizing and storytelling, and hopes to bring people together to build lasting and meaningful relationships beyond the physical space at Sunday Jump.
Jensen Reyes is a creator from the Carolinas in San Juan Capistrano, California. They graduated with their BA in Liberal Arts from Soka University of America, where they founded the university’s first official Student of Color Coalition. Concerned with cultivating empathy and compassion through community building, Jensen has since moved to Los Angeles where they have been involved with the Filipino Voter Empowerment Project through PWC, as well as the Lakas Mentorship Program. A poet at heart, their writing touches on race, gender, sexuality, immigration, and millennial burnout. When they’re not busy being that barista you lowkey have a crush on, Jensen can be found reflecting on their life at the nearest body of water, obsessing over whichever dog just happened to walk by, or dancing at a Beatrock Music concert.
Born in Baguio City, Philippines, Abigail Pidazo now resides in Tustin, California after growing up a Navy brat. As a child, she developed a love for writing, always making sure to have a pen and paper as a travel essential and is now beginning to practice poetry in her local open mic community. Though she is new to the Sunday Jump Team, for three years, she has been journeying the open mic community throughout Orange County proudly supporting talents of all kinds. Her love for open mics started with The Lost Bean Open Mic on Mondays in Tustin, California and is now a recognized weekly attendee to The Coollab Project in Downtown Santa Ana at The 4th Street Market on Thursdays. Her passions also include voicing women empowerment, self-care and self-love, and all things art related. Through her experience with the open mic community in Orange County, she hopes to bridge the gap between LA and OC to recognize the talents as one whole community by involving herself with the Sunday Jump Team as the Outreach Assistant.
Cherisse Yanit Nadal is a recipient of PAWA, Inc.’s Manuel G. Flores Prize in Writing, is a 2013 VONA Fellow, and attended the UCR Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA program. Her work has been published in Oatmeal Magazine and has been a featured reader at Dirty Laundry Lit, Sunday Jump, Shades & Shadows, and Tuesday Night Cafe. She is a former West Coast Correspondent for DC Asian Pacific American Film, Inc. and has also served two years as Acquisitions Editor at Kaya Press. Previous to assuming her position as Editor-in-Chief of The East Jasmine Review, she served as one of the Non-Fiction Editors. Cherisse has also been featured as a guest co-host on the literary podcast The Blood-Jet Writing Hour. You can follow her on twitter @cherisseyanit.
Ysabelle Inigo is a Filipina-American born and raised in Orange County, California. She considers herself an extroverted introvert who draws from her unique experiences connecting with people from all walks of life while also, at times, being a wallflower. Growing up feeling disconnected from her cultural identity and very different from those around her, Ysabelle is fascinated in learning more about her roots and culture while also holding space for others to grow through their own self-discovery. She graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a B.S. in Child and Adolescent Development and has since then held a variety of roles in the non-profit and hospitality sectors. Some of her favorite things include the many journals she has written and held onto over the last 20 years, thrifting while traveling & creating playlists based on her moods.
Janiceis a daughter of Filipina/o immigrants. She was named one of the San Francisco Bay Area’s 2017 Women to Watch by KQED Arts. She is the author of two books of poetry: Like a Solid to a Shadow (Timeless, Infinite Light, 2017) and microchips for millions (Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc., 2016) and three other chapbooks. She is a VONA/Voices and Kundiman Fellow, and the Associate Editor of TAYO Literary Magazine. She co-founded Sunday Jump open mic in L.A. She earned her M.F.A. in Writing from CalArts, and she has a B.A. in Ethnic Studies with Honors from UC San Diego.
