Summer Actions and Amy's Send-off
A Message from EXP CEO Amy Grat
School may be out for summer, but the opportunity engine runs hot year-round! Your support is fueling our valuable services including the Career EXPedition: Cal Maritime and the very first week of the EXP Internship Program: Powered by Prologis. (You can read more about these below.) We are grateful for your generosity.
As June brought graduations for the Class of 2023, it also brought the close of EXP’s 2023 business year and my own “culmination” as CEO. I am deeply indebted to all of you who helped make my last year with EXP a truly wonderful EXPerience (sorry, couldn’t resist…). You embraced the challenges of leadership transition with enthusiasm and intentionality. And soon, we will announce our amazing new CEO, to whom I will be proud to hand over the keys. Bravo!
Working together this past year, we were able to reach milestones on our strategic goals that have been on my “bucket list” for years: a diverse and sustainable revenue stream, intentional program growth and innovation, organizational maturity and stability, full-circle engagement with our alumni, and a team and board who are dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion and are reflective of the communities we serve.
I am thrilled that EXP is now an official partner of Long Beach Unified School District and Orange County Department of Education. I love seeing our ITEP/EXP alumni serving on our board and our staff, volunteering and hosting our interns, and paying it forward as donors and sponsors of our work. I will always treasure the memory of our last Oceans of Opportunity, where you rose to the challenge and raised over half a million dollars to ensure we are able to provide life-changing opportunities to every student we can reach.
You have given me a life-changing, career-defining 13 years. Thank you, EXP Family.
Amy Grat
CEO
Save the Date: GPS Your Future® - October 12
GPS Your Future® is returning Thursday, October 12! We look forward to hosting the annual career discovery experience for 600+ students from EXP-supported high schools at CSU Dominguez Hills.
For more information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact Jessica Ureňa, Direct of Development, at jessica@expfuture.org.
Partner Spotlight: Kaiser Permanente
Kaiser Permanente South Bay is one of our long-standing internship partners. In 2018, then Community Benefit Health Manager Janae Oliver reached out to EXP to become a partner in the Kaiser Permanente Summer Youth Employment Program, in which EXP internship candidates participated every year. Our partnership grew over the years including our participation in the KP South Bay grant program in 2019.
“At Kaiser Permanente, we’re committed to promoting good health where people live, learn, work and play,” said John Yamamoto, vice president of Community Health and Government Relations. “We know that good health impacts educational attainment and success, and that education is an influencer of life long health. Research has shown us that better education contributes to greater job opportunity, higher income, and better access to resources that reinforce health. EXP connects youth who are facing adversity to positive mentoring, learning experiences, and career opportunities. Kaiser Permanente is grateful to EXP for the great work they are doing to prepare students for career advancement and success in life.”
And we are grateful to have a partner like Kaiser Permanente!
Your Support in Action
Internship Program is in Full Swing
Summer is off to a busy start for our 78 interns who just completed their first week of the EXP Internship Program: Powered by Prologis at 31 host sites from the LA Harbor to Barstow, including big names like our partner Kaiser Permanente, LADOT, Rock-it Global, and Desert Ambulance.
The internship program will culminate on August 4 with a celebration for our interns, their parents, and internship host sites at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center.
Thanks to our program sponsors: Prologis and Port of Los Angeles!
Another successful Career EXPedition: Cal Maritime
18 students from 5 EXP-supported schools returned from 5 days of college experience and hands-on training in personal survival and marine fire fighting at Cal Maritime (CSU Maritime Academy) in Vallejo. Now in its 12th year, EXP’s Career EXPedition at Cal Maritime enables students to explore careers in maritime and earn industry-recognized certificates.
Thanks to the Port of Los Angeles for sponsoring this program!
EXP Intern, Amir, during the second week of her internship with EXP.
Career EXPedition participants learn marine firefighting skills at Cal Maritime.
Career EXPedition participants have a blast while learning survival skills.
Congratulations, Graduates!
Congratulations to recent graduates from EXP-supported high schools like our Young Fellows Program participant Matthew from Rancho Dominguez Preparatory School and EXP alumni who finished college and masters degrees like Lorraine Horta '16! We are so proud to be a part of your success in school, career, and life!
Carolyne Gonzalez, Operations Coordinator
EXP Staff Update
Welcome, New Team Member!
CAROLYNE GONZALEZ
Operations Coordinator
Carolyne comes to us with experience in operations, including order processing, data entry, and business office administration.
She gained experience in operations while interning for Yusen Logistics and then working for Chemical Guys. Carolyne graduated from EXP-supported Rancho Dominguez Preparatory High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara.
We are excited to have Carolyne on our Operations team and help us support our dynamic departments!
We're hiring!
We currently have two open positions on our Program team. Learn more here and apply today!