Our summer 2022 fellows are ready to launch!

This past weekend we were so proud to gather at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Downtown L.A. to celebrate Ready to Launch’s second class of fellows completing their fellowship journey! 

As their last assignment, each of our fellows put their public speaking skills into practice and shared their reflections from the fellowship. We were honored to be joined by City of San Fernando Councilmember Celeste Rodriguez, who also hosted one of our fellows as an intern this summer. We are so grateful for Councilmember Rodriguez’s words of advice and encouragement, and her commitment to developing the next generation of women leaders.

Our six fellows participated in more than 40 hours of training this summer to prepare them for careers in government and politics. We supported each fellow in securing a great internship in government in LA County. They each expanded their networks through one-on-one mentorship with women professionals we paired with them. 

But what we’ve discovered is that the real magic of our program is the community we’re building and the safe space we’re creating together for our participants to build the confidence to enter the world of public service.  

Our fellows’ futures are bright, and we cannot wait to see what they all do next! But this community building doesn’t end with the fellowship – we continue to work with our alumni to be a part of everything we’re doing. 

Thank you to our internship hosts, mentors, supporters, donors, and volunteers! We’re humbled to work alongside this community to continue expanding opportunities for women from marginalized communities going into staff careers in government and politics.