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THE PESA POST

The latest news, views and announcements from

Parents, Educators/Teachers & Students in Action


May 18, 2023

THREE YEARS AND SEVEN COHORTS LATER

PESA celebrates its college interns and their contributions to the organization

PESA recently celebrated the organization’s latest cohort of 25 college interns as they wrapped up their semester-long internship. These students come from universities across Los Angeles such as Loyola Marymount University, University of Southern California, and California State University, Northridge. 


PESA’s College Internship program is coordinated by Assistant Directors of Internships, Amanda Flores and Cheyenne Clopton. The program gives interns first-hand experience to explore the work PESA does at the forefront of advocacy, mentorship and education. After weekly educational workshops, interns are tasked with proctoring Teen Court sessions, developing and hosting workshops for high school students and researching state policy before drafting their position letters for elected officials to consider.  


When asked to describe what made PESA’s internship program special, Clopton shared, “I think the program is unique in that it gives the interns experiences that they might not have otherwise thought of. It opens their eyes to opportunities that don't just limit them. You can be a lawyer, but also be involved in education. You can be a policymaker, but also be involved in the law.”


Kaylee Chen, a graduating intern who is a junior at USC, shares that the educational tasks she completed at local schools were her favorite part of the program. “For me, I really liked my school assignment at Chatsworth High School doing mock interviews. Some of the kids in the beginning were really nervous. I saw myself in them, so it felt good to help and give encouraging advice that will help them in the future.” 


Angel Garcia, another graduating intern who is a senior at CSUN, says that he chose to work with the organization because, “PESA works with diverted youth, a lot of whom are of Latino descent. That was really important to me because I am also of Latino descent. When I saw those kids, it reminded me of my cousins, who have also made mistakes and could’ve used the extra support, resources and guidance PESA gives.” 


It is important to acknowledge that many college students might not have the opportunity to complete internships due to different obligations. Clopton and Flores have ensured that the internship program remains accessible and flexible for students from all backgrounds. “We realize that not everyone has had the opportunity to intern beforehand. Therefore that is never a barrier we put in place. We’re all about access. The biggest thing we look for is passion for the work we do” stated Clopton. Not only is the application process very straightforward and concise, but the workload is flexible. Flores said, “All our assignments in the internship program are designed, even if they have no work experience prior, to be learned during our workshops. Mine and Cheyenne’s role is to help guide the interns through each assignment and provide the necessary resources to complete it.” 


This program is essential to PESA’s mission of providing youth with near-peer mentors.  PESA would like to thank the internship cohort and express great appreciation for their contributions to PESA.



If you’d like to support PESA’s many social and educational initiatives, please contact us.

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