Two weeks ago, the 2023 SOAR Internship supported by Birdies kicked off at the Angel City office in Santa Monica. Open to girls and nonbinary youth of color, the SOAR Internship teaches career and entrepreneurship skills, gives participants an inside look at the shoe design and professional sports industries, and—new this year—allows each of them to shadow an Angel City FC employee in a department they are interested in.
The program, which has been offered for two years, has expanded in 2023, and is now offered to students from throughout the Angel City impact ecosystem.
Get to know the interns below:
Angel City FC Community Impact Partner: ICEF Public Schools
Shadowing: Angel City FC Commerce Department
Headed to Cal State Northridge in the fall
What are your short- and long-term goals?
My short-term goals are to prepare for college in the fall and take all the steps needed to be ready for the first semester, and to further my business in vending machines. A long-term goal is to graduate college and start my life with a job in fashion marketing.
Who is a mentor in your life?
One of my mentors is my mom. She helps guide me through many obstacles that I go through without holding my hand, but giving me the best advice and helping me understand the many ways of life.
Community Impact Partner: Play Equity Fund
Shadowing: Angel City FC Ticketing and Analytics Department
What do you like learning about?
I like learning about chemistry and hope to use that knowledge for a food science career in the future. I also like learning about art history, but I do that on my own time.
What are your short- and long-term goals?
My short term goals are to attend a four-year university and likely major in food science and minor in art history. I want to use the business and marketing skills that I've garnered from this internship post college, possibly creating my own pop-up art museum or using marketing skills to encourage people of color to enter the medical or science fields.
School: View Park HS; headed to UCLA in the fall
Angel City FC Community Impact Partner: ICEF Public Schools
Shadowing: Angel City FC Community Department
Headed to UCLA in the fall
What are your short- and long-term goals?
My short-term goals are to become a stronger person and not have such a negative mindset. I criticize myself very hard and I can also be harsh on others, so I have set goals for myself this summer to be more open-minded and take risks. My long-term goals are to launch a business and have an inspiring story as to why I launched my business. I also want to become a philanthropist and a cosmetologist.
If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
If I were an animal, I would choose to be an animal that hasn't been discovered yet, because I feel that animals are more at risk of becoming endangered because of human activity. I would want to be able to live a live without having to deal with the effects of human activity and human values!
Angel City FC Community Impact Partner: All Peoples Community Center
Shadowing: Angel City FC Partnership Marketing Department
What do you like learning about?
I like learning about math as well as the climate issues in the world.
Why did you apply to the SOAR internship?
I applied to the SOAR internship because I saw in the description that there was going to be a day where we shadow the department of our choice. I saw that one of the departments was marketing, and since marketing is a career that I am looking into, I thought this internship was a great opportunity to get to see what they do on a day-to-day basis and see if that is the career I truly want to pursue.
What are you most excited to do in the next six weeks?
I am most excited to learn what goes on behind the scenes and what makes the team possible.
School: View Park HS; headed to UC Santa Barbara in the fall
Angel City FC Community Impact Partner: ICEF Public Schools
Shadowing: Angel City FC Marketing Department
Headed to UC Santa Barbara in the fall
What do you like learning about?
I like learning about almost anything that intrigues me. Academically, I enjoy biology, chemistry, and humanities/culture. Outside of the classroom, I am currently teaching myself ASL and I like learning new hobbies like crocheting.
What are your short- and long-term goals?
After high school I will be attending UCSB majoring in pre-biology. I plan to get my undergraduate degree there and then attend Stanford University for Medical School to achieve my career goal of becoming a pediatric dermatologist.
Angel City FC Community Impact Partner: Play Equity Fund
Shadowing: Angel City FC Partnership Sales
Headed to UCLA in the fall
What do you like learning about?
I enjoy learning about my culture (Chicano and Mexican culture) and about the history of people of color in the US. I also enjoy learning about human-related science and philosophy.
What are your short- and long-term goals?
I currently plan on attending UCLA and majoring in Human Biology and Society. I hope to take internship, volunteer, and study abroad opportunities so that I can maximize my education and learn about the different career possibilities. At this point in time, I’m looking to pursue a career in the medical field as a physician’s assistant or in sports medicine. I’m also curious about work as a medical examiner and managing my own business.
I would also enjoy running a small business outside of my main career. I make jewelry, bake, and crochet, and I also might be interested in starting a small business to support aerial arts for youth of color.
Regardless of my career, I will stay an active athlete. I will continue to practice aerial gymnastics, and hope that I can continue with Crossfit, judo, and archery. I also want to be able to continue performing.
Angel City FC Community Impact Partner: Football For Her
Shadowing: Angel City FC Partnership Sales Department
What are your short- and long-term goals?
My short-term goals post-high school would be to be in college studying to become either a physical therapist or an athletic trainer, and to be playing college soccer. Long-term would be to get signed by a professional women's soccer club. If soccer doesn't work out, my long-term goal would be working for a professional sport organization like the NBA, NWBA, MLB, NFL, or even the NWSL as a physical therapist.
Why did you apply for the SOAR Internship?
I applied for the SOAR Internship to gain experience in the business aspect behind the sport of soccer—basically to learn what makes a soccer club run successfully.
Angel City FC Community Impact Partner: Football For Her
Shadowing: Angel City FC Public Relations Department
Who is a mentor in your life?
My soccer trainer, Stephanie, is a mentor in my life. I look up to her because she likes to help younger athletes accomplish and work toward their goals. She played soccer throughout her life and loves the sport so much that she continues to have it in her life.
What are your short- and long-term goals?
Short term, I would like to attend a four-year college. As of right now, my possible majors are kinesiology and sports communications/marketing. Kinesiology is a major I am interested in because I have taken sports medicine classes at school and I would like to be either an athletic trainer or physical therapist. Sports communications and marketing is interesting to me as well because I have experience in managing social media accounts for several different activities at my school. I really enjoy sharing my work with my community and hope to bring others together through the posts.
Long term, I would like to be an athletic trainer or work in the sports field somehow. I love sports and know I always want them in my life. I would also like to volunteer and help younger athletes. When my schedule allows, I help coach my trainer's youth soccer team and it is something I really enjoy doing.