UNITE-LA kicked off the 11th cohort of Step into Tech last month, welcoming 31 aspiring tech professionals selected from more than 200 applicants. As they begin building in-demand skills, exploring career pathways and connecting with industry mentors, they are joining a program designed not just to train but to launch careers.

That impact is already taking shape through alumni like Estefania Perez. After graduating in summer 2024, she returned as an Emerging Leader for the spring 2025 cohort while starting a $25 per hour internship as a network analytics intern at Caterpillar Inc. By fall 2025, she secured a full-time role as an IT analyst and has since returned again as a volunteer mentor.

UNITE-LA’s Programs team hosted the Spring Partner Open House on Thursday, Feb. 12, welcoming 114 registrants.

UNITE-LA is proud to share that Angela Mamun, a 2024 alum of the My Pathway to Health program, has accepted a full-time position as a community health worker at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. After earning her phlebotomy license in January 2025, Angela continued to expand her experience through internships and workforce training opportunities shared by UNITE-LA, including placements with COPE Health Scholars, Cedars-Sinai, Pilipino Workers Center of Southern California and the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County.

Ilia Lopez, associate director of Inclusion and Community Partnerships at UNITE-LA, will serve as the new co-chair of the South Los Angeles Area Health Education Center (AHEC). AHEC works to improve access to quality health care for medically and economically disadvantaged communities through strong academic and community partnerships.