Welcome Back to School!

As summer draws to a close, we find ourselves filled with pride and anticipation for the year ahead. This summer, 125 of our EXP interns embarked on transformative journeys, gaining experiences that have instilled a renewed sense of confidence as they enter their senior year. Seeing them return to school, energized and ready to chase their dreams, fills us with immense joy and purpose.

We’re more committed than ever to supporting our students’ journey to success in college, career, and life. This year, we’re thrilled to deepen our impact in the LA Harbor region by providing additional Career Technical Education (CTE) and Linked Learning pathway support. We are also expanding our reach with schools in Long Beach and Orange County, broadening our mission to empower even more students and strengthen our community.

This year holds a special place in our hearts as we celebrate 25 years of making a difference together. It’s a time to reflect on our collective journey, to honor the milestones we’ve achieved, and to look forward with hope and excitement for what’s to come. We’re incredibly proud of all we’ve accomplished, and we want to express our deepest gratitude for your unwavering support. None of it would have been possible without you.

As we embark on this new school year, we look forward to a year filled with growth, excitement, and the continued pursuit of our shared dreams.

Here’s to an incredible year ahead!

With gratitude,

Mary Tran, EXP CEO, and the EXP team

EXP and Sato Academy volunteers at project culmination, Spring 2024.

Say Hello to Sato Academy!

We are delighted to welcome our newest partner school, Sato Academy of Math and Science, in Long Beach! A 2024 CA Distinguished Schools award-winning STEM high school, Sato empowers and equips students to be innovative collaborative problem solvers. After providing the school with engineering volunteers to help mentor and judge students’ projects last spring (pictured here), we knew this was the beginning of a meaningful partnership.

Starting this fall, EXP will support Sato with our innovative programs, which include career-readiness workshops, guest speaker series, project mentors, and signature events like the upcoming GPS Your Future®.

“We are honored to be part of the EXP family, and are super excited about elevating our student experience through this partnership,” said Ronnie Coleman, Sato Principal (and "Mother of Dragons").

We are excited to help the Sato Dragons gain experience, unlock doors, and build the confidence they need to succeed in school, career, and life. Welcome to the EXP family!

Get Ready for Long Beach Gives: September 19

We’re coming up on Long Beach Gives on Thursday, September 19! For 24 hours, join thousands of others in showing their support for their favorite Long Beach nonprofits like EXP. Every donation will help us prepare students for a better life!

Thanks to a matching gift from our friends at Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority (ACTA), every dollar donated up to $2,000 will be matched on that day!

Put September 19 on your calendar and share our giving page with your friends. We hope you will help us meet our $5,000 goal!

Learn more

GPS Your Future®: November 7

The 14th annual career discovery experience GPS Your Future® returns to CSU Dominguez Hills on Thursday, November 7. Here are how you can make an impact on more than 550 10th-grade students from EXP-supported schools:

Sponsorship that fuels career discovery. Contact Jessica Ureña, Director of Development, at jessica@expfuture.org.
Support the cost of bringing students to this event. Donate here.

Learn more

An Opportunity that Changes Lives: 25 Years of EXP Internship Program

They did it! 125 interns completed the EXP Internship Program: Powered by Prologis earlier this month! 89% reported higher confidence in pursuing higher education or post-secondary options, and 73% reported an increase in their confidence after their internship.

A special thank you goes out to nearly 60 internship host sites across LA and Orange Counties, and the City of Barstow! Your commitment to engaging the next evolution of our workforce and providing our youth with the career-readiness skills that they need to succeed has had a profound impact on our interns, boosting their confidence and preparing them for their future careers.

DID YOU KNOW that internships have been a part of our programs since our founding? Your continuing support has provided pivotal tools to build the next generation of workforce and unlock opportunities for our students from our very first cohort of 15 interns in 2001 until today.

As we set our sights on the next 25 years, we look forward to growing and evolving the program to provide more students with this life-changing experience!

Join us on our anniversary page to learn about EXP's history as we celebrate our 25th anniversary from now through June 2025.

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Welcome New Board Member: Stephanie Farmer

We are excited to welcome Stephanie Farmer, our long-time volunteer, to the EXP Board of Directors. Fun fact: Stephanie was the first to volunteer as our virtual guest speaker during the pandemic! Another fun fact: Stephanie is a Phineas Banning High School alum!

Stephanie is the Director of Reporting and Analysis, Cost of Care Planning, and Execution at Elevance Health with 30 years of experience in Healthcare Administration.

She has a long history of service, including being on the board of directors for the USC Black Alumni Association and a Los Angeles Rams Season Member. She has also volunteered to mentor students interested in Healthcare careers at USC and UC Irvine for over 20 years.

“I am looking forward to collaborating with people from all walks of life who have a shared vision and passion for investing in young people who represent our future,” said Stephanie.

Alumni Spotlight: Christine Pina ’05

Christine Pina ‘05
Management Analyst and Education Programs Coordinator, Port of Los Angeles
Phineas Banning High School: International Trade Academy (ITA)

Christine’s story is another inspirational ITEP/EXP full-circle story. This ITA alum went through our program in high school, stayed within the Port of Los Angeles for her career journey, and is now back helping EXP coordinate our partnership with the Port.

It all started in a 9th-grade English classroom when ITA seniors dropped in to talk about the pathway and programs offered. Christine took advantage of all the opportunities available, including the field trip to Washington D.C. and the summer internship at the Port of Los Angeles.

“Everything that I learned about working for the Port really made 17-year-old me want to work for them after high school,” recalled Christine. “I was heavily influenced not only by the people I met during my internship but everyone I met from then on.” The experiences and relationships she cultivated at the Port led her to a student worker position as a Port Police cadet and then an office trainee while she attended college. After that, she quickly moved up through the ranks to be where she is today.

“Because of EXP, I saw that there was a chance to make my life what I wanted it to be rather than the struggle that I witnessed with most of my family experience,” said Christine. “It is an honor and my pleasure that now I can give that same chance to help influence the coming generations.”

Hey, alums! Connect with us through our Facebook Group and sign up for an exclusive alumni email list, or email us at alumni@expfuture.org to stay in touch!

EXP Insider: Exciting New School Year Ahead