The Los Angeles Post

Become the Change: 2019 Summer Law & Pubic Policy Symposium for Young Reformers

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August 8th, 2019
(Monterey Park, CA) – East LA College Foundation and East LA College (ELAC), partnered with College Bound Today, to host the 2019 Summer Law & Public Policy Symposium. The Symposium, which took place on ELAC’s campus student center and auditorium, was supported in part by Comcast | NBCUniversal and the Friends of Montebello Unified School District Foundation, and ELAC’s LA Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
More than 100 individuals who attended the event had an opportunity to hear prepared remarks from six esteemed Guest Speakers, most of whom grew up in the East LA neighborhood or surrounding areas. These leaders spoke about their personal journey to success in the fields of Law and Public Policy. Following these remarks, ELAC students and College Bound Today (CBT) alumni students sat down with the six Guest Speakers, along with an additional 14 leaders in the fields of law and public policy. These mentors were invited to participate as Special Guests in one-on-one conversations devoted to personal networking and reflecting on how the students can make a difference in their respective communities.
The Symposium is part of a series of future events meant to serve as an important first step towards creating a new pipeline for young people throughout East and Southeast Los Angeles County who:
  • want to pursue innovative careers in areas such as law or public policy, or related careers
  • want help in preparing for and finding opportunities in those careers in LA
  • are willing to work with experienced volunteer professionals who will serve as their Advisors helping them search for educational and employment opportunities innovative, high-growth careers
  • want to become more involved in the political and civic life of their neighboring communities in in order to identify and pursue policy and business reforms to benefit the common good
“We at East Los Angeles College are honored that Dean De La Cerda and his department has the opportunity to partner with College Bound Today for important leadership programming. It bodes well for our institution and our community to embrace new and important information and strategies to help our students succeed,” stated Dr. Raul Rodriguez, Interim President of East Los Angeles College.
“This Symposium helped to showcase ELAC’s role in the community as being the center for social and political awareness, as well as economic development, in East and Southeast LA. I am honored to have been a part of such a diverse panel of Guest Speakers and Special Guests and to have had an opportunity to personally encourage and advise the passionate CBT alumni and ELAC students in attendance. This Symposium will help us enlighten and motivate more students to make tangible differences in their communities and to realize that they each have something unique to contribute to their community. A special thank you to Dr. Kenneth V. Chaiprasert, J.D., Ph.D., Coordinator of the ELAC Pathway to Law School Program, for being a partner and mentor for this first-time event,” said Guest Speaker Paul De La Cerda, Dean of Resource, Economic Development, and Innovation & Executive Director of ELAC Foundation.
“I was pleased to see such a large number of CBT alumni students gather for this event on the ELAC campus, which is located so close to their homes in the East LA area. Most of our CBT alumni are first-generation students of color who come from modest backgrounds. Having six such distinguished Guest Speakers, most of whom grew up in the East LA area and who overcame systematic obstacles in their younger years, helped motivate and inspire these students to follow their dreams. The drive, passion, and persistence of our CBT alumni students is illustrated by the fact that more than 99.2% of them graduated from high school and went on to attend colleges and universities,” said Dan Clement, Co-Founder of College Bound Today.