LEAP Emerge Summer Wrap-Up!

2019 LEAPEmerge Interns

Greetings Friends!

This Thursday everyone over here at LEAP wanted to show off some of the cool things that happened over our Summer 2019, particularly our fun times with this year's cohort of LEAPEmerge Interns! 

These bright, young minds are definitely on the path to great things, and it was an honor interacting and working with them over the last 8 weeks.

Brendan Kim (East West Players), Catherine Pereda (Thai Community Development Center), Gia Dacayanan (API Equality - Los Angeles), Mayta Lor (Program Facilitator), Kristie Lam (Center for Asian Americans United for Self-Empowerment), Kelepi Ahoia (Empowering Pacific Islander Communities), Francis Rettinger (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics), & H’Abigail Mlo (Little Tokyo Service Center)

LEAPEmerge is a summer internship program where current/recently graduated college students partner with different API organizations in the Los Angeles area and learn about leadership development and applying their new skills to various issues affecting our communities.

On top of helping community organizations fulfill their mission, our LEAPEmerge interns were tasked with a Community Impact Project around an API community issue!

This year's Community Impact Project was We Are Here which talked about gentrification in relation to the ethnic enclaves of Little Tokyo, Thai Town, and Historic Filipinotown! Check out their project here!

After eight fun weeks, the LEAPEmerge program culminated in the intern's graduation ceremony! Friends, family, and our fellow community organizations joined LEAP in celebrating the interns for their growth as new leaders and their hard work and dedication!

A special thank you to our program sponsors Nissan, Southern California Edison, and Macy’s and to our friends at Southwest Airlines, - the Official Airline for LEAPEmerge, for sponsoring the program and the travel for the interns and their families!

Applications for 2020's LEAPEmerge program opens

November 15, 2019!

LEAP Emerge 2020 Cohort Start Date:

June 15, 2020!

Be on the lookout in the upcoming months for more information regarding the program application!

If you have any questions please contact Eledy Vargas, Program Coordinator at evargas@leap.org, or (213) 485-1422 x4118

Congrats again, Interns!