Student Fellowship

• Capacity to attend training sessions and invest the required program time commitment for 10 months. 
• Balance of ambition and humility: individual drive to succeed but also being ready to help someone else succeed - e.g. another fellow or program participant 
• Connection and motivation to support the growth of underserved communities including South and East LA 
• Understanding and/or willingness to learn wealth-building as a social justice intervention
• Willingness to learn skills and methods that support the growth of small businesses in the community.
• Potential for being a fellow matched with a business leader based on organizational needs, skill sets, and interests

Additional key characteristics we’re looking for can be found on the LEEAF Student Fellowship FAQ.

With great interest in social impact, Brandon Yueng spends his time volunteering at Clinton Global Initiative University to promote mental health awareness on their campus. From this past year, his greatest lesson has been the importance of understanding mental well-being, and was brave enough to start a dialogue about mental health within his community. He states, “I want people to feel unique, understand themselves, and change the course of mental health and other taboos associated with it.” Brandon also has dreams of opening a farmer’s market at Cal State LA to help students have better nutrition and reduce plastic waste. Brandon is striving for greatness, and we are happy to have him aboard!    

Josieline Hernandez is a first-generation college student expecting to receive a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies in 2022! For the last 5 years, she has dedicated her time to curating artists and local community members to resources. Through this work, she has produced creative opportunities for marginalized communities and proved that community empowerment is essential to helping those around her thrive. Josieline wants to prove that true character comes from within. “I am trying to show by example that degrees don't make the person, it’s the work behind that rises from the struggle.”

Jimmy Can, a Cal State LA business student, shows great initiative and drive. His strong interests in fundraising, capital, operations, and logistics, motivate him to learn how organizations function and are properly funded. He volunteers 20 hours a week with a non-profit organization, and this effort will only add to his skillset as he plans to one day start his own non-profit organization.

Over the past year, he has come to notice the wide technological divide amongst communities. As our society has become accustomed to online living, he has raised awareness on the necessity of technological devices. In low-income communities, it is harder to attain such devices and keep up with the expectations of our society. He believes technology should be made accessible to everyone to create an equal chance for success. Jimmy shows great care for his community by supporting the street vendors in his neighborhood. He recognizes the hard workers they are and urges that they are supported.

Jimmy has an intuitive mind that pairs greatly with his determination to make a difference. His ideas, hard work, and dedication prove that he is a capable individual that will accomplish great things in our program. We are excited to see what he will do!

Elizabeth Cruz Garcia is a Mass Communications major at Cal State LA with a strong drive and willingness to learn. She is a proud member of her community, and over the past year has recognized the importance of bringing communities together. She has a dream of supporting marginalized groups by creating community-first projects or coalitions.

She has a strong interest in marketing, which derives from her recognition that we are now living in a digitized world. She believes that understanding sales, market analysis, and customer discovery will help her to increase connectedness with people in her community. She also recognizes the misogynistic ideals of women in traditional cultures, which limit women’s roles in society. Using her marketing skills, she envisions having a showcase by women to support and empower women. Elizabeth has a deep care for those who are not always given a voice, and we are excited to see her put that care into action during her time with LEEAF.

Natalie Miller, a Business Economics major at Cal State LA, is a self-determined individual with dreams of making her environment a better place than she has found it. She has recognized the importance of family values and community bonding. It is important that we have relationships and support one another. Natalie approaches life with a highly competitive and positive attitude. She says, “a positive attitude has allowed me to develop strength and character.” Her work with a small t-shirt company in Downtown Los Angeles has helped her understand the operation of small businesses and how they affect the community. Her business law classes have also allowed her to build skills in investing, pitching, and grant writing techniques along with organizing financial documents. With this current and growing knowledge, Natalie has a goal of one day owning her own company. She has made great strides to reach this goal, and we cannot wait to see the skills she will further develop to make it come true.

Destiny Rodriguez is a Cal State LA senior majoring in social work and has great compassion for her community. She works to be an advocate for the disabled community and a voice for those who can’t be heard. She has dreams of helping communities that have experienced trauma and injustices, and her own experiences with different internships have allowed her to gain hands-on experience of how to maintain a balance between social advancement and cultural preservation. She believes practices of cultural humility and self-awareness are important practices to implement in community repair and maintenance.

Destiny holds an interest in strategy, design, and social impact. She has spent a year at America’s Job Center workforce development program helping put together and oversee various job fairs for both teens and adults. Aside from business work, she has taken the initiative to go out and feed houseless people every Christmas season. From these experiences, there are hopes of putting together projects and programs geared toward helping these groups of people and further benefitting the community. Destiny has shown great promise in her accomplishments and experience, and we are excited for the further achievements she will receive.