LA:RISE participant Magally is a firm believer that everyone can make an impact on their community – and her own career goals are centered around paying it forward. The Los Angeles native recently returned to the area from South Dakota in search of better job opportunities and enrolled in LA:RISE at the West LA YouthSource Center (YSC) for support in her next steps.

Magally worked as a teacher's assistant, a transitional job that aligned with her passion for working with students. The role provided paid, on-the-job experience and it confirmed her desire to work with young people. Magally recently graduated from Santa Monica College with an Associate's Degree in Public Policy. She accepted a staff position at West LA YSC, where she was recently promoted to a full-time Youth Coordinator.

Megally is attending CSU Dominguez Hills to earn her Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management. She plans to start a nonprofit that guides students through the higher education application process and creates sustainable career paths for young adults from historically underinvested communities.

Of her future, Magally says: "my goal is to work in public service, serve my community, and empower youth to create positive change."

EWDD is a leadership team partner of LA:RISE, an innovative, collaborative partnership that unites the City and County of Los Angeles’ Workforce Development System with non-profit social enterprises and for-profit employers to help people with high barriers to employment get good jobs and stay employed.

The City’s WorkSource Centers and LA:RISE prioritize individuals recently released from prison, the unsheltered or those at risk of homelessness, and youth ages 18-24 who are neither in school nor employed. After working in a transitional job at a social enterprise, leveraging WorkSource Center training and services, LA:RISE participants are placed in permanent jobs within the private or the public sector.