First Career Exploration & Discovery Panel
The launch of our Career Exploration & Discovery Program was a total success! 🎉
After a two-part workshop series, we concluded the Exploring Identity Series with a Q&A panel entitled “What Do Professionalism & Authenticity Look Like?” In this session, three panelists spoke to our scholars about their own experiences as Latinx professionals in their respective industries and highlighted the importance of remaining your authentic self in the workplace.
We welcomed three incredible panelists for the Q&A Panel:
Chelsea Hylton, Staff Writer at De Los with the LA Times
Chelsea Hylton is currently a reporter on the De Los team at the Los Angeles Times. She previously reported local breaking news at NBCLA and Telemundo52.
The Inglewood native is the daughter of immigrants from Mexico and Jamaica. Hylton has a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master's degree in journalism from the University of Southern California. During her time in undergrad, she was a Posse Scholar and co-editor in chief of The Black Voice, UW's Black student-run publication.
At USC, she served as a co-editor for Dfmelo, the university's only Latinx-based and bilingual publication. She is passionate about social justice issues and the power that storytelling has on Black and Brown communities.
Cristina Piña, Founder and CEO of Central Valley Scholars
Cristina grew up with a dream ... a dream to heal the pain and suffering she experienced in her childhood, a dream to create educational spaces where students feel seen, welcomed, cared for, and can be their authentic selves.
As a Trans Woman, raised by immigrant Latlnx parents, and growing up in the rural communities of the Central Valley, Cristina•s work is inspired and uplifted by her Queer and immigrant ancestry who fought and died for her to reside in the spaces she holds today.
Cristina leads with an open heart, and as the Founder and
CEO of Central Vall ey Scholars, her goal is to create transformative changes in education -- in which students
go to spaces not because they have to, but because they want to, and share the common mission of making the Central Valley a more loving, accessible, and opportunityfilled place to live.
Federico Pacheco, Senior Manager of Public Affairs at Gilead Science
A son of Mexican immigrants, Federico was born and raised in the Watts District of South Los Angeles. Lived experiences- the challenges of growing up in a low-income single parent household- motivate him to find ways to make an impact in underserved communities. A first-generation college graduate, Federico earned his Bachelor's degree in Sociology from UC Berkeley in 2006. Years later, he would go back to school to earn an MBA degree with a concentration in Analytics for Managers from Call State East Bay.
Right after his undergraduate studies, Federico put his passion for community development to work, serving the non-profit sector for over 15 years. Through various roles, he led resource development efforts for regional and national organizations primarily focused on youth development and education. Currently, Federico serves as the Senior Manager of Public Affairs at Gilead Sciences where he helps advance the work of the Gilead Foundation. Federico feels fortunate to be in a position through which he can continue to make an impact in our communities.
We once again want to extend our deepest gratitude to these incredible panelists for sharing their experiences so openly with our scholars. Our students benefit so much by hearing from professionals like you with shared identities and lived experiences, and your stories truly play a significant role in inspiring our students and others like them. We could not be more grateful for your commitment to supporting LEAF’s mission–thank you, thank you, thank you!