Kayla Carrillo
Senior Coordinator
Kayla Carrillo, M.Ed., joined ArtCenter in September 2025 as the primary Career Pathways Advisor for ArtCenter students and recent alumni. She brings a holistic approach to career advising, centering on supporting each person’s personal and professional growth. Kayla obtained her Master of Education from USC and her undergraduate background in Psychology from Whittier College, where she partnered with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team to center equitable representation and inclusion within academia and create cultural spaces where students feel represented and supported.
Nichole Ganser
Senior Coordinator
Nichole Ganser has had a varied career that spans the film industry, academic administration, events planning, indie publishing, graphic design, and student support. In 2023 she joined ArtCenter where she uses her eclectic experiences to coordinate Creative Careers’ student experiences and manage the department’s graphic identity & communications.
After graduating with a B.A. in Film Production and then an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from USC’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts, Nichole worked for the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC as an Office Administrator where she fell in love with the world of academia and student support, providing counseling for prospective students, improved resources, and a graduate-level workshop on screenwriting structure. She also has creative work experience as a writer/director, film editor, events coordinator, and manuscript editor—all of which have honed her passion for creative storytelling and visual design. She is a firm believer that limitations are inspiration in disguise and that you can learn how to do almost anything if you’re not afraid of failing.
Angelina Lee
Director, Creative Careers
Angelina Lee, M.A., joined ArtCenter's Creative Careers in January 2026 to lead the team in employer engagement, innovate in student career readiness solutions, and streamline campus partnerships and tech solutions to maximize career learning and outcomes. Angelina brings 15+ years of experience in higher education, ed tech, human resources, learning & development, business, and non-profit administration. Prior to ArtCenter, Angelina worked at Handshake, Loyola Marymount University, Otis College of Art and Design, and YMCA of Los Angeles.
She received her Master of Arts in Leadership & Ministry from Biola University, and B.A. in Political Science/International Relations from U.C. San Diego. Angelina prioritizes a human-centered approach in building career experiences and industry partnerships to achieve higher value-added educational outcomes, employment, career progression opportunities, and to develop leadership potential and capabilities for current students and grads. She loves helping people find their career pathways, and creating equitable and just opportunities for diverse communities. Angelina is multilingual in Mandarin Chinese, French, and Korean. She enjoys working with and supporting creatives, and is a trained vocalist/musician, and dancer.
Eilís O'Brien Russell
Associate Director, Creative Advising
Eilís O'Brien Russell has been with the Creative Careers team since October of 2022, when she started as a Career Advisor providing holistic advising to students and alumni in identifying and understanding their priorities, designing responsive job and internship search strategies, and exploring their creative curiosities. In her current role, Eilís spearheads the CC Mentorship Program, leads the Advising Team in strategy and planning, designs synchronous and asynchronous programs and resources for students and alumni, supports presentation and storytelling skill development, and has created ArtCenter's first Career Foundations Curriculum, a self-service module for students excited to kick off their creative career development.
Prior to her time at ArtCenter, Eilís worked for Queens Public Library in New York at the system's makerspace branch, where she providing career advising support, and designed and facilitated system-wide tech and design programming in partnership with the library's re-entry services, staff development, and children's services teams. She has BA in History and English, with a focus on Irish Studies and medieval material culture.
Maria Scileppi
Associate Director, Creative Entrepreneurship
Maria Scileppi joined ArtCenter's Creative Careers team in February 2025 to launch the Creative Entrepreneurship Program, helping ArtCenter grads build the practical business skills they need to thrive as independent creative professionals. After earning her BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Maria began her career as an Art Director in advertising - but soon found her true calling: helping artists and designers translate their creative skills into sustainable careers.
She has held full-time roles at IDEO, 72andSunny, and Mother, working with top creative teams to drive innovation and collaboration. She also ran her own consulting practice, working with brands including Autodesk, Dropbox, Uber, and Carhartt. Maria has spoken around the world, including at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, on developing the next generation of creative leaders. Maria believes the best way to learn is by doing, and that people do their best work when they feel safe to take risks and ask questions. She's passionate about helping people feel fully realized through their creative practice. Outside of the office, Maria is a conceptual artist working primarily in fiber.