However, before we dive further into 2016, we’d like to share some of the great stories that made the last quarter of 2015 memorable. We thank you for everything you’ve done to help. ITEP students ended 2015 on a high note.

OCTOBER 2015

Our largest student outreach event, GPS Your Future, enabled almost 600 ITEP students to explore careers in maritime, finance, security, STEM, and the local trades (just to name a few) in an expanded expo hall and breakout sessions at CSU Dominguez Hills. Our industry partners shared insights with ITEP-supported career pathways in Barstow, Carson, Downey, Gardena, Harbor City, Los Angeles, San Pedro, and Wilmington. In total, 31 exhibitors, 34 speakers, and 9 sponsors joined us for the 6th annual career exploration event.

We would like to thank our event sponsors: California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH), California Community Colleges – Doing What Matters for Jobs and the Economy hosted by Long Beach City College, Watson Land Company, Los Angeles World Airports, Real Property Collaborative, Los Angeles Harbor College, Bank of America, Comerica, and Santa Monica College.

More than 70 ITEP students from Gardena High School’s Global Leadership Academy learned the importance of financial responsibility at the Junior Achievement of Southern California Finance Park! In a real-life setting of stores, shops, and financial institutions, students learned about every day budgeting and the importance of making sound financial decisions.

Thank you, Junior Achievement of Southern California, for the opportunity to participate in this great event and for your continued support and partnership.

ITEP began working with the Downey Unified School District (DUSD) to support the transformation of their career education programs district-wide. MADE: A Career Initiative launched in October 2015 and brought together the entire DUSD (elementary, middle, and high schools), the city of Downey, local businesses, and ITEP.

DUSD is a recipient of the California Career Pathways Trust (CCPT) grant, and has subcontracted with ITEP to provide intermediary services such as internships. Our team is currently working with the DUSD and local partners to lead the development of an internship program that will be exclusive for Downey area youth.

“We are excited to expand upon the strong reputation we have built working with our LAUSD schools and move into a district-wide consultant role for Downey,” said Amy Grat, ITEP CEO.

Every fall, ITEP freshmen receive a formal introduction to their pathways through Welcome Banquets. For Phineas Banning High School, this meant hundreds of new and bright faces in 5 pathways! All new students received a brief overview of ITEP, and opportunities/events available to them. The events also allow freshmen to practice their networking and team-building skills through activities and one-to-one interactions with ITEP staff and industry partners that serve as advisory board members, speakers, mentors, and internship providers.

Twenty-six ITEP students from Banning High School’s Global Safety & Security (GSS) Academy participated in the annual five-day trip to California State University Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime) in Vallejo, CA. Our 10th and 11th grade students imagined many maritime dreams, and completed basic safety training alongside Steve Mangold from the Port of Los Angeles, ITEP volunteer and GSS advisory board member.

Thank you, Metro Ports, for funding this field trip for 10 years running!

Eighteen ITEP students from Banning High School’s International Trade Academy (ITA) traveled to Washington, D.C. for the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF). This year’s theme was National Security – Diplomacy, Intelligence & Defense. The six-day program prepared students for careers in defense, intelligence, and the diplomatic corps through a career fair, work site visits, and real-world simulations

We’d like to express our gratitude to Jeff Burgin and the entire PASHA team, who have sponsored this trip for the past 14 years!

NOVEMBER 2015

Kevin Oliphant from Sedgwick visited ITEP students from Carson High School’s Global Business Law and Government (GBLG) pathway. Thirty-three students from GBLG’s Virtual Enterpise learned about Kevin’s career track, and received information on budgeting, financial analysis, and forecasting.

Thank you, Kevin and Sedgwick for investing in our students.

ITEP and its Linked Learning partner, United Way of Greater Los Angeles, connected 26 students from Dorsey High School’s Business and Culinary Arts Management (BCAM) pathway with 8 City National Bank employees to learn about their career tracks in culinary arts, marketing, finance, digital production, event planning, and IT. Events like these that show students that bankers are not the only prominent figures in a financial institution.

A special thank you to City National Bank for showing students the way up! We are also grateful for our extraordinary partner, United Way.

ITEP students from Carson High School’s Environmental Science Engineering and Technology (ESET) pathway mixed things up by coordinating a different type of welcome banquet for their freshmen. The “Prep For Success” Retreat welcomed 120 freshmen and 30 seniors to the South Coast Botanical Gardens. The all-day retreat allowed students to learn more about ESET and build their communication, leadership, and team building skills. These freshmen are on their way to high school success!

We would like to thank Tesoro and Republic Services who sponsored student swag for the event. We’d also like to acknowledge our host, the South Coast Botanical Gardens and last, but not least, Ms. Tammy Bird, lead teacher at Carson High School, and all staff/chaperones who support our students and staff year-round.

Twenty-five ITEP students from Carson High School’s Environmental Science Engineering and Technology (ESET) pathway attended Day of Discovery presented by the Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA). Students interacted with more than 26 aviation-related companies and heard from General Kevin P. Chilton, Space Shuttle Endeavour Pilot, and Space Shuttle Atlantis Commander.

We’d like to thank LAWA for coordinating and inviting us to this wonderful event. We’d also like to acknowledge General Chilton for sharing his story about driving the Endeavour into space, and giving our students a special shout-out during the event.

ITEP students from Gardena High School’s Global Leadership Academy heard from Jorge Martinez of Global Pro Logistics, and learned about Microsoft Office skills necessary to excel in any workplace. The presentation was part of “Ctrl+Alt+Del,” Workshop 2 of our 2016 Internship Program. In total, 134 potential interns will compete with their peers for summer internships this year!

Thank you, Jorge and Global Pro Logistics for dedicating time and resources to Gardena High School.

Teachers from Carson and Gardena High Schools joined ITEP staff at the Pat Brown Institute’s 22nd Policy Conference, “The Ports of LA and Long Beach: Links in a Chain.” The event is aimed at bringing additional light to the ports and supply chain world – industries that are unexplored by many, yet do so much to drive our local economies. We learned much in speeches from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, as well as the numerous industry panels.

Our 7th Annual Day of Discovery event took place at the U.S. Coast Guard base in Terminal Island and proved to be our largest to date! More than 320 ITEP students from Barstow, Carson, Gardena, Phineas Banning (Wilmington), and San Pedro High Schools attended. New participants included Narbonne High School (Harbor City) and Rancho Dominguez Preparatory School (Carson) along with a new ITEP-supported business-themed pathway in San Pedro High School.

A total of 10 displays/demonstrations were available for exploration and represented U.S. Coast Guard careers in the areas of Search and Rescue, Law Enforcement, Medicine, Emergency Response, and Navigation.

We were also thrilled to welcome the Daily Breeze on the base. The paper included a short photo gallery of the event on their webpage. You can view it here.

Click here to view more event photos on our Facebook Page!

Special thank you to LTJG Shaun Doyle, Captain Jennifer Williams, and the rest of our Coastie friends at the U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach.

ITEP staff participated in United Way’s 2015 HomeWalk and raised $1,042 to help end veteran homelessness in Los Angeles. Go ITEP team and United Way!

DECEMBER 2015

ITEP students from Phineas Banning High School’s International Trade Academy (ITA) kicked off the 2nd annual ITA Business Entrepreneurship Expo. The event was created to prepare ITEP students for this year’s Virtual Enterprise Business Competition, set to take place in February. Students split up into teams and were given 60 seconds to pitch their businesses to a panel of judges. Each judge evaluated student groups in the following areas: marketing/sales, HR, elevator pitches, business plans, and website design.

We’d like to thank our business volunteers and supporters who contributed to the event’s success: Los Angeles Maritime Institute, Phillips 66, Port of Los Angeles Port Pilots, and Yusen Logistics.

First the harbor, and now Harbor City! In early December, we celebrated our newly added Business and Technology career pathway at Narbonne High School with a holiday-themed mixer.

This new career pathway will follow the ITEP model and bring career awareness, career exploration, career training, and paid work experience to 418 students in the first year! Additionally, curriculum will be aligned to meet the pathway needs as well. Read more about the event here.

We’d like to acknowledge Los Angeles Harbor College, the Harbor City/Harbor Gateway Chamber of Commerce, LAUSD school district, and Narbonne High School teachers (especially our new lead teacher, Mrs. Carol Shaw-Loose) and staff for all their support and hard work. We’re ready to accomplish great things with these bright Gauchos!

For the 3rd year, West Basin Container Terminal LLC (WBCT) and its parent company, Ports America, welcomed ITEP students from San Pedro High School’s Global Environmental House (GEH) to their terminal for a holiday luncheon, employee raffle, and exclusive tour. Students lunched with WBCT staff – clerks, managers, longshoremen, etc. Moreover, all proceeds raised from the employee raffle directly benefit our Pirates- $6,101 in total!

For many harbor area students, this was their first time exploring the working world that enables thousands of goods to move in and out of the Port of Los Angeles – and it’s all in their backyard.

We’re extremely grateful to call Ports America a lead partner. Their generosity goes above and beyond the classroom and into the community where so many of our youth are curious to explore their future careers. Thank you, WBCT and Ports America!

We are so grateful for the outpouring of generosity from our supporters to the 2015 year-end fundraising campaign. This year’s contributions wildly exceeded our expectations – your donations surpassed the 2014 campaign by more than 500%! What an incredible way to end the month and year! Thank you!

The stories and successes you are reading about here were made possible because of you. Your support has fueled our continued growth – we moved to a larger office space last summer and our team continues to grow to support the 88% increase of students in our network over the last school year.

We look forward to partnering with you in 2016 to inspire more college and career dreams.

Expo hall at CSU Dominguez Hills filled with ITEP students during ITEP’s 6th Annual “GPS Your Future” event.

Take charge of today and plan for tomorrow. Earlier this fall, this is exactly what over 580 ITEP students did during our annual GPS Your Future event, held at California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH). Here are the 5 things our students learned during the event:

1. It’s never too early to network
ITEP students explored our biggest expo hall to date! With more exhibitors this year than ever before (31 total), students had the opportunity to explore a variety of booths manned by great event sponsors and supporters like the Port of Los Angeles, Bank of America, Long Beach City College, SoCalGas, DoubleTree Hotel Carson, and trades represented by Ironworkers Local Union 416 and Pile Drivers Local 2375.

Hard hats and suits came together to educate our young leaders on life after high school and career options in their communities. Students who envisioned following one career path left the day curious to explore a new track. One ITEP student from Phineas Banning High School revealed that he was always interested in becoming an engineer, but after speaking with a U.S. Coast Guard representative, he is considering a new career.

2. Let the fear go and ask questions
Students (and even some professionals) are often afraid to ask questions. Our thoughts sometimes get the best of us and we hold back and the exploration process stops. GPS Your Future was created to spark curiosity and give students a forum to begin navigating and discovering a brighter future. In order to help the exploration process, all ITEP students and exhibitors participated in a “Ticket to Success” activity. Each student received a “ticket” that was filled with a sticker every time they asked a compelling question to an exhibitor. At the end of the event, the top three students who collected the most stickers received a reward. Shout out to Gardena and Dorsey High Schools for asking terrific questions and making the most of our expo hall!

An exhibitor rewards an ITEP student with a sticker for the “Ticket to Success” activity during ITEP’s 6th Annual “GPS Your Future” event.

3. Always dress for success
Will Rogers said it best: “You will never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Even as a high school freshman, you never know whom you might meet at your next field trip or an event like GPS Your Future. ITEP students took note and dressed as young professionals, not typical freshmen. Even our exhibitors and speakers commented on how impressed they were with our students. Check out how sharp they looked!

ITEP students pose for a picture during ITEP’s 6th Annual “GPS Your Future” event held at CSUDH.

4. Love what you do, always
Our students heard firsthand life lessons from our keynote speaker, Anthony Pirozzi, Director of Systems Integration, Test and Launch at Boeing. Mr. Pirozzi also serves on the Port of Los Angeles Harbor Commission and is a San Pedro High School alum. His love for electronics and STEM started at a very young age while fixing televisions with his father. Today, he launches satellites into space.

“I didn’t know I was going to do this… I can put a satellite in space, but I still can’t fix a television. When you’re in something that you love, you find a way to continue to grow and with that comes different rewards,” exclaimed Pirozzi.

Keynote speaker, Anthony Pirozzi from Boeing, addresses students during ITEP’s 6th Annual “GPS Your Future” event.

Jesse Gomez from Boeing, addresses students during ITEP’s 6th Annual “GPS Your Future” event.

Another Boeing employee, Jesse Gomez, shared the stage with Mr. Pirozzi. Mr. Gomez is a System Engineering Lead and a big STEM proponent. His road to success began while serving in the U.S. Army as a Flight Operations Specialist. Thank you, Boeing for introducing ITEP students to STEM and promoting the success of all youth.

5. Be enthusiastic
Our students were in the best environment to practice great eye contact and firm handshakes. The expanded expo hall allowed for many one-on-one conversations and small breakout rooms provided an intimate classroom atmosphere so that even the most shy attendee felt welcomed. This year, we also utilized CSUDH’s Financial Market Trading and Business Simulation Lab, which enabled students to feel like they were in the middle of Wall Street. A 22-foot-wide LED ticker tape and 110-inch video wall displayed current news from the Dow Jones Industrial Average. We’re sure tomorrow’s stockbroker was allured and impressed!

Two engineers from Tesoro discuss their road to success during a breakout session at ITEP’s 6th Annual “GPS Your Future” event. Thank you, Tesoro!

Whether it’s a job in finance, the goods movement, STEM, or hospitality, GPS Your Future makes options visible and attainable for ITEP students. The event is just the beginning of many career dreams. The rest is yet to be written, so stay tuned.

To view additional event photos, please visit our Facebook Page here.

A special thank you to our event sponsors: CSU Dominguez Hills, California Community Colleges-Doing What Matters for Global Trade and Logistics hosted by Long Beach City College, Watson Land Company, Los Angeles World Airports, Los Angeles Harbor College, Real Property Collaborative, Bank of America, Comerica, and Santa Monica College. 

Public speaking is tough. The most confident adults find it hard to escape their sweaty palms and rapid heartbeat. You’re probably thinking about one of your own nerve-wracking presentations or speeches now. The good news is that we’ve all survived this challenging task and have gained a greater respect for seasoned speakers and rookies alike.

This summer more than 90 students from Phineas Banning and Carson High Schools charmed us with their public speeches. Just look at how sharply they dressed!

ITEP students from Banning High School dressed to impress for their Summer Bridge project presentations.

ITEP teamed up with the Center for Powerful Public Schools to support their Summer Bridge Program and introduced incoming freshmen to high school and leadership opportunities. These students researched local businesses (20 total) and collaborated with their classmates to create marketing plans aimed at attracting teen customers.

Students from Carson High School explored eight businesses at Carson’s SouthBay Pavilion Mall while youth from Banning HIgh School discovered businesses within walking distance to their campus. At the end of their research, all student groups presented their recommendations via PowerPoint to a panel of judges consisting of business owners/managers, ITEP industry volunteers, and school faculty.

Woodbury University sponsored a campus tour for the Summer Bridge Program participants from Carson High School.

Incoming ITEP freshmen present to a room full of students, teachers, parents, and local business panelists.

The summer project enabled students to be a part of their business communities, not as teen consumers but as supporters, researchers, and marketers. This was the first of many steps these youth will take to explore the world of work. These students now have a head start in high school and are connected to a community of peers, teachers, and administrators to support their journey during the next four years.

ITEP loves to see parents supporting their children as they prepare for their future. Parents are a vital part of the ITEP family!

We’d like to thank the Center for Powerful Public Schools along with our outstanding business participants and volunteers who support our promising youth. The Summer Bridge Program is supported by Linked Learning at LAUSD via funding from the Department of Labor’s Youth Career Connect grant.

Check out our Summer Bridge program students at Carson High on ITEP’s Facebook at: http://on.fb.me/1JS2iFg.

A message from ITEP CEO, Amy Grat:

Where is the port in the 818? That’s one of the jokes I get when I pass out my business card for International Trade Education Programs and they see a Glendale address. It seems funny to our partners in the Harbor, but ITEP’s roots in the San Fernando Valley run deep. They go all the way back to our founder, Carol Rowen, a passionate business woman from Tarzana who was appointed by L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan to sit on the Harbor Commission.

For eight years, Carol regularly traversed the City of Los Angeles across the 101 and down the 110, learning first hand that all roads lead to the Port. At the end of her term as Commissioner, Carol’s heart was firmly fixed in the Harbor, and that is where she chose to build her legacy.When ITEP launched the International Trade Academy at Phineas Banning High School in Wilmington, it was just Carol and her colleague Bonnie Bair who made the magic happen. All of the administration was easily done out of Bonnie’s small Flintridge Consulting office, located on the quiet corner of La Crescenta and Honolulu Avenues in Glendale.

However, in the past fifteen years of growing from one school to seven, and from serving 60 students to 3,300, this little office of 1,500 square feet has begun to burst at the seams. Also, with our increased presence on-site at our schools and out in the community, we have found that it is much more efficient to be located closer to our clients (and spend less time driving the 35 miles each way up and down the freeways).

Today I am very excited to announce that we are moving to be closer to our ITEP family. Effective Monday, July 13, 2015, we will call the harbor area our new home. Thanks to Yusen Logistics, a long-time friend of ITEP and soon-to-be landlord, we’ve found the perfect office space to grow our operations at a very affordable price. Our ITEP headquarters offices will sit above Yusen and across the hall from NYK Lines – we can’t get any closer to the daily hustle and bustle of logistics and goods movement!

Please make note of our new mailing address (effective 7/13/15):

ITEP, Inc.
2417 E. Carson Street, Suite 200
Carson, CA 90810

Our landline phone and fax lines will change, but our emails and cell phones will remain the same.

ITEP’s effectiveness in connecting schools to industry and helping implement linked learning and career pathway education is increasingly being recognized regionally and statewide. We have been included in several large grants that will enable us to expand our work within LAUSD at Narbonne, San Pedro and Rancho Dominguez Prep High Schools. As well, in fall of 2015 we will be partnering with Downey Unified School District to build S.T.E.M. focused internship programs at Warren and Downey High Schools.

Our Carson headquarters will enable us to build on our strengths and grow to meet new opportunities. Stay tuned to receive information about our official office warming celebration. We look forward to partnering with you to serve even more students in the future!

Best,
Amy Grat
ITEP Inc., CEO

A sneak peek of the ITEP’s new headquarters.

ITEP students explore a U.S. Coast Guard “helo” after it lands on the Los Angeles-Long Beach base during our “Day of Discovery.”

ITEP students visited stations throughout the base to explore U.S. Coast Guard careers. At this station, students received a demo on the Coast Guard’s role in handling oil spills.

Check out more photos from our recent Day of the Discovery here and don’t forget to LIKE our Facebook Page!

In collaboration with the Coast Guard’s Partnership in Education (PIE) Program and thanks to the great support from PIE Coordinator LTJG Kristen Bradley, ITEP students began their field trip by watching a Coast Guard “helo” (helicopter) land on the base.

After receiving a very warm welcome from the Sector Commander and Captain of the Port Jennifer Williams, students then explored stations throughout the base to learn about search and rescue, emergency response, law enforcement, medical services, navigation, and the branch’s K9 unit. ITEP students were also introduced to Coast Guard Officer Programs available to college students.

Our great Coastie plays the role of an injured patient while ITEP students work together to place a neck brace on him.

ITEP students explore the U.S. Coast Guard Boat Station to learn about search and rescue and navigation.

At this particular station, ITEP students learn about law enforcement and security practices within the U.S. Coast Guard.

When asked what he loved most about ITEP and activities like Day of Discovery, Cristian said, “Getting to meet new people, honestly. Getting to know their stories and all that – how they came to be where they’re at and what they had to go through to become who they are now. That’s what I love the most.”

“I learned a lot about the Coast Guard… You have a lot of opportunities available for you. There’s a little bit more freedom than any other branches… I really, really like this place,” he added. Cristian is a current ITEP Junior from Barstow High School’s Mojave Express Logistics Academy (MXP).

 We thank our Coasties for showing ITEP students that there are men and women in uniform who care about their futures and the endless careers that wait for them at a berth and beyond.

On April 17th, we celebrated the completion of ITEP’s first Underwater Robotics Program. A total of 22 ninth graders from Banning High School completed the 8-week program that was funded by Phillips 66 and supported by the Pacific Battleship Center – Battleship USS Iowa.

ITEP students from Banning High School’s first Underwater Robotics Program show off their robots to family and guests during their Culmination Ceremony at the USS Iowa in San Pedro, CA.

Check out more photos from the Culmination Ceremony here and don’t forget to LIKE our Facebook Page. 

Students were divided into seven groups to construct their underwater robots, from concept to completion using SeaPerch kits. The program also included three, after-school field trips and one overnight trip at the Battleship USS Iowa. During the field trips, students learned about the naval history of battleships, tested their knowledge of the metric system, learned how to calculate ocean turbidity and depth, and explored marine radar. Keep in mind that these aspiring engineers are only in ninth grade!

First adventure aboard the USS Iowa in San Pedro, CA. Students received an overview of the history of the battleship and tested their knowledge of the metric system.

I think that it’s an experience that I would’ve never gotten if I wasn’t in this particular program,”  said Viviana Gallardo, freshman at Banning High School. . . . Actually having that hands-on experience instead of people just coming over and describing it, gave me more of a push to kinda look into majors aside from what I’m thinking of right now. I’m actually thinking about or looking into an engineering major.”

Viviana originally planned to study psychology, receive a PhD, and become a child psychologist. Her advice to future program participants: “Keep an open mind about engineering.”

Mike Haworth [RIGHT], an engineer from Phillips 66, helped students improve their robot assembly by providing tips on waterproofing and soldering for underwater operation.

During their second field trip to the USS Iowa, ITEP students learned how to calculate two of the most important nautical measurements: ocean turbidity and depth.

During their third field trip, ITEP students were introduced to the world of radar – how radar is used on ships, as well as during battle. The field trip also included exclusive access to the Command Engagement Center, where war plans were once created.

ITEP students test their underwater robots at Banning High School.

ITEP would like to thank our sponsor and supporters (listed below) for their immense support. We look forward to creating more college and career dreams in STEM. 

Raise more than $218,000 in donations and sponsorships
Support our ITEP programs through $9,606 in silent auction donations
Feature Gloria Davila (our 2015 Carol Rowen 180 Degree Award winner) and her cupcake business, which raised $3,240 to support future entrepreneurs
Showcase 82 cheerful centerpieces created by
San Pedro High School’s GE / SPEA Academy
Cheer on 30 of Banning High School’s MATCH Academy students who helped prep and serve the night’s family-style meals

Of course, we couldn’t do it without the dedication of our partners, specifically those who allow us to build and grow our programs:

Ports America, our 2015 Keeper of the Flame
Pilar Hoyos of Watson Land Company, Bill Stein Memorial Leadership Award Recipient
Matthew Brown of Cabrillo High School, our 2015 Educator of the Year
City of L.A. 15th District Councilman Joe Buscaino, our wonderful Master of Ceremonies and amazing ITEP supporter

Thank you for not only supporting another successful ITEP Scholarship Dinner, but allowing a future ITEP intern and college student to shine in the spotlight for years to come.

ITEP would like to send out a special thank you to all of our 2015 dinner sponsors. You can view the full sponsor list here.

We are hiring! ITEP has an immediate need for an assistant to our Communications Manager. This individual will aid in the creation, planning, and implementation of communications and major events that support ITEP’s mission.

The Communications Assistant will report to the Communication Manager. This is a full-time, entry-level position located in Glendale, California. Starting pay is commensurate with experience.

Responsibilities:

1. Assist with planning, management, and successful execution of major events such as ITEP’s Annual Scholarship Dinner, GPS Your Future Student Conference & Expo and other events that promote the mission, expertise, and vision of ITEP
2. Assist with content generation and proofreading of communications, including ITEP’s blog, website, Constant Contact newsletters, press releases, post-event reports
3. Work with the Communications Manager to establish a marketing and editorial calendar
4. Support social media messaging and strategy on the ITEP blog, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube
5. Assist with the development of promotional marketing materials

Job Requirements:

Work/volunteer related experience preferred.

1. Event planning and implementation
2. Social media expertise, specifically with Facebook, Twitter, WordPress blogs, LinkedIn, and YouTube
3. Experience with Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator and email delivery software such as Constant Contact
4. Website development preferred

Other:

1. Strong writing and proofreading skills
2. A demonstrated ability to communicate on a business level
3. A passion for non-profits; flexible, resourceful, and energetic
4. Some travel and off-site work required

Please submit your cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to Denise Capurso via email at finance@itepinc.org.

From left to right: Carol Rowen (ITEP founder), Jasmine Valdez (Banning High School-GSS Academy), Amy Grat (CEO of ITEP) during the 14th Annual Scholarship Dinner, “Crafting Future Careers.”

“As the first day of school approached I was more and more convinced that I should drop out even before the first bell rang… I was going nowhere fast.”

On March 27th, Jasmine Valdez took the podium to tell her story to 700+ guests during our 14th Annual Scholarship Dinner, “Crafting Future Careers.”

The third-year GSS student from Phineas Banning High School shared her history of bad habits that started in middle school. She associated with the wrong crowd, skipped school, came home late, and experimented with drugs.

“I didn’t care who was affected by my mistakes, and laughed when people were hurt by the things I said and did,” said Jasmine.

It was hard to believe that the confident, young woman on stage was once a poor student who made bad decisions. As she exposed her less-than-perfect past through every completed sentence, she grew closer to completing her final “challenge” – an acceptance speech.

Jasmine Valdez delivers her acceptance speech after receiving ITEP’s Carol Rowen 180 Degree Award during the 14th Annual Scholarship Dinner.

Jasmine received the night’s memorable “Carol Rowen 180 Degree Award,” a recognition presented to the ITEP student who demonstrates the most dramatic turn-around.

Three years ago, with guidance from a close friend, Jasmine joined the GSS Academy. Soon after, she separated herself from the bad influences and substances and joined a new crowd, one composed of college-bound students willing to learn and industry leaders willing to coach. Her grades began to improve.

Jasmine went from a 1.5 GPA to a college-bound student and GSS academy council member. Her lunchtime now consisted of planning GSS events and activities with her peers.

“I am now meeting graduation requirements and was accepted to most of the colleges of my choice, ” added Jasmine.

“There is always hope, and always a second chance. It is never too late to pursue your dreams. If you work hard, everything is possible.”

Applause broke out.

Jasmine is an example of why we continue to bring industry professionals and students together to network and share a family-style meal. We unite the key puzzle pieces in our community to build stronger neighborhoods, youth and leaders. Yes, the scholarship awards are the treat of the night, but the interactions that begin and follow allow our ITEP “family” to craft future careers and fuel countless of college dreams.

In a few years, Jasmine will cross a stage for a second time – to accept her college diploma. We’re sure of that and so is she. We thank you for setting the stage and providing the inspiration.

Congratulations to Jasmine and all our 2014 scholarship winners and honorees!

From left to right: ITEP Board Members – Stacey Jones (CH2M Hill), Caroline Brown (Bank of America), students from Banning High School’s ITA academy and Amy Grat (CEO of ITEP) at the 14th Annual Scholarship Dinner.

Click through our event photos to see other great moments from our 14^th Annual Scholarship Dinner, “Crafting Future Careers.”

1 + 1 + 1 adds up to more than 3! For the first time, ITEP partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of LA Harbor (BGCLAH) and joined San Pedro businessman, Mitch Harmatz from Plaza Automotive Center to organize an exclusive networking mixer for Harbor Area college graduates and employers. The first-ever “Careers for College Graduates” was held on January 7^th and delivered a packed house to the Grand Annex with 109 attendees.

The power of partnership united local talent from San Pedro, Wilmington and beyond. Alumni from the BGCLAH College Bound Program and ITEP academies networked with representatives from top companies to explore entry-level roles and opportunities. Companies represented included Boeing, Merrill Lynch, Port of Long Beach, Port of Los Angeles, PS2 Engineering, Toyota, Total Terminals Inc., and Wells Fargo (just to name a few).

Unlike other networking events, we kept things intimate and efficient with a small venue and essential details like pre-printed business cards and resumes for college graduates to share. Copies of local job listings were also available for our young professionals.

Special guests of the night included LA Harbor Commissioner and Boeing executive, Anthony Pirozzi, Octaviano Rios, Harbor Area representative from City of Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office, Elise Swanson, District Director for Congresswoman Janice Hahn, Ryan Ferguson, San Pedro Field Deputy for Councilman Joe Buscaino’s office, and Miguel Cordova, Senior Field Representative for Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi – thank you all for your attendance and contributions to the event!

What grads and students said:
“I’ve been having such a blast. I’ve met a lot of great people and I’m walking out of this with a great learning experience – my social skills are developing, my communication skills are developing. Whether or not I walk out of here with a job, I walked out of here with something very valuable in my hands,” said Laura Orozco, ITEP alumna and UC Santa Barbara recent grad.

“I thought this event was pretty great because opposed to a lot of the bigger networking events at USC, this was very intimate and it’s not so competitive, and there’s not a huge line to talk to a specific person,” said Jacob Velasco, BGCLAH College Bound Program Alum and junior at USC.

What business partners said:
“Very powerful event, great networking opportunity for the students and for us too… there were a lot of sharp individuals here – very professional and very driven,” said Anthony Pirozzi.

“What we have going on here in the next 5-10 years is going to be very transformative. We’re going to have a marine research center, we’re going to have a new development at Ports O Call – we’re going to have all these great opportunities, but it would be a disservice to our community if we didn’t take those amongst us along for the ride,” said Jack Baric from Baric Media Entertainment.

“It’s incumbent upon us to, as we’re creating these opportunities, to not only bring in new, fresh talent – which we desperately need – but to cultivate and nurture the talent that already exists here…” added Mr. Baric.

We couldn’t agree more!

Help us organize more events like these and develop our young workforce. Contact us for more details – we and our students welcome you with open arms, a few firm handshakes and the confidence to take on the world!

To view event photos, please visit our Facebook page.