Born in Hong Kong, China of Brazilian parents Caroline Cortezia was a world traveler before she even entered high school. Landing in Florida to finish up her high school and college years, and eventually settling in the Bay Area, Caroline’s unique global view as both an Asian and Latina, gave her a master class in diversity that lead her to her current work with children and families from all walks of life.
While in Florida, Caroline’s earned combined master’s from the University of Miami (Miami, FL), in Exceptional Student Education Pre-K Disabilities/Exceptional Student Education K-12/ESOL-Reading. She also has a bachelor’s from Florida State University FSU (Tallahassee, FL) in Child, Family and Consumer Sciences with a concentration in Child Life Studies and double bachelor’s from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University FAMU (Tallahassee, FL) in Early Childhood/Elementary Education. Her passion for education also lead to her title as a Certified Lean Facilitator (Florida International University) from the College of Engineering & Computing- Division of External Programs. Combining her various degrees and certifications, she currently proudly serves as the Quality Improvement Specialist for Neurosciences at UCSF in San Francisco where she partners with key stakeholders of the service line to identify high priority initiatives that support the quality, safety, patient experience, and strategic growth for Neurosciences in both adults and pediatrics.
Caroline is passionate about providing equitable care to patients with varying abilities, raising awareness about trauma informed care specifically to individuals on the autism spectrum, the use of Lean methodologies to improve systems and managing projects that support diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her role as a member of the 4Cs of Alameda County Board of Directors aligns with her personal mission to help raise awareness and help enhance resources available to the community.