Impact Spotlight: SOAR Internship

For the fourth year in a row, Birdies is sponsoring the SOAR Internship, a paid summer career readiness program for teenage girls and gender-expansive youth of color. 

During the six weeks of the program, the students, who are recruited from throughout the Angel City impact ecosystem, shadow adult mentors at Angel City’s Santa Monica office in the PR, community, partnership marketing, and content departments, giving them the opportunity to learn about career paths that they may not have known about both within the sports industry and beyond it. The interns also collaborate on project-based learning opportunities, hear from guest speakers like Birdies CEO Bianca Gates, Angel City Co-Founder and President Julie Uhrman, and ACFC General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano, and gain leadership and entrepreneurship skills that they can apply to their ongoing education and their future professional lives.

In addition to being paid, the program also offers transportation support to all students, with the aim of eliminating any and all barriers to participation.

Below, get to know the eight interns in the SOAR class of 2024. The community program, if any, that each student is affiliated with is listed below their names.

Ketzally Alcala, 18
Las Fotos Project

As I prepare to enter college in the fall, post-graduation goals are all centered around breaking generational cycles and doing better for my community, self, and family.

Being a first-generation student, I have had to work very hard throughout my high school career to set myself up for success. I have sought out resources that have allowed me to explore myself and the endless careers I could pursue. My older sister was the first to attend college in our family. She has continued to inspire me to pursue a higher level of education in a career that I am passionate about and break boundaries with my presence. 

Throughout my life, no matter how small or big my accomplishments have been, my community of Boyle Heights has shown up. As I begin to move physically away from my community I begin to reflect back on everything I have learned and received, giving me a sense of responsibility to give back all the lessons instilled in me. My plans are influenced by the support and drive that was given to me in hopes to support other youth and allow them opportunities to seek out a fulfilling livelihood.

During the summer of 2022, I was preparing to enter my junior year of high school, a year filled with multiple AP courses, a handful of extracurricular activities, and the pressure of senior year approaching, but I found myself branching out of my artistic niche. Through Las Fotos Project, I had the opportunity to explore sports photography as an ACFC Artist in Residence. Through that role, I became curious about the different roles in the world of sports—a curiosity I have explored as a SOAR intern.

My commitment is to ensure that the next generation of leaders is equipped with the knowledge and courage to soar to new heights.

Aaliyah Calderon, 18
Las Fotos Project

I am a photographer, photojournalist, and first-generation college student from East Los Angeles. 

Growing up, I was surrounded by a supportive family who instilled in me the values of hard work, perseverance, and the importance of giving back to the community. Witnessing my parents' dedication to their work and their commitment to helping others inspired me to aspire for excellence in my own endeavors.

Through Las Fotos Project, I discovered a love for photography and the transformative power of visual storytelling. The mentorship and guidance I received from passionate instructors and peers fueled my desire to pursue a career that merges my creative talents with my desire to make a positive impact. 

My photos are all about sharing the beauty of my heritage and highlighting others’ stories. I want my pictures to feel real as I find comfort in capturing the beauty of my surroundings.

By combining my passion for photography with my aspirations for business ownership and social impact, I hope to build a career that not only fulfills me personally but also contributes to society.

During the SOAR Internship, I am keen to delve into content creation and digital marketing initiatives, leveraging my creativity to engage and captivate audiences. Seeing how ACFC brings the community together to experience the excitement of a game firsthand is something I am genuinely passionate about.

Makayla Cox, 15
Clean Up the Beach

As a dedicated and determined student, track and field athlete, a Girl Scout, and the founder of the nonprofit Clean Up the Beach, I have numerous goals for my future.

First, I aim to complete high school with a 3.75 GPA and to break my school record for the 100-meter dash by running under 11.89 seconds. After graduating, I would love to go to the University of Southern California and run track there. I plan to major in business with a focus in marketing.​​

Above all, my long-term goals are to sustain and expand my non-profit, Clean Up the Beach. After I attended my first beach cleanup in third grade, I wanted to do it over and over again. Every summer my mom would find a beach cleanup. Then COVID hit, and they all stopped. My mom had the idea of branching out and doing my own cleanups. 

I did a few things different from other cleanups to stand out: my events happen every month year-round at Venice Beach, the second-most-visited and dirtiest beach in Southern California. In the future, I plan to expand Clean Up the Beach in states that border the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Through the SOAR internship, I am gaining valuable insights into the worlds of business and marketing that will help me pursue my long-term goal of owning my own business. 

Andrea Popoca, 18
Las Fotos Project

In the fall, I will enter college as a first-generation student majoring in psychology to pursue a career as a psychiatrist.

Las Fotos Project, which I started with in 2018, was a big part of my life. That’s where I grew my creative skills and how I was introduced to ACFC through the Artists in Residence program. Las Fotos is also how I learned about the SOAR Internship, which has introduced me to some of the careers in sports that incorporate my creative values.

As a person, I am good at connecting with others in an authentic way and I am always there for anyone who needs help or advice. As a photographer, I am able to tell stories of memorable moments that others may not pay attention to.

Nubian Robinson, 18

As a 2024 high school graduate about to enter college in the fall, I plan to study to become a social worker.

What inspired me to want to become a social worker is very small and simple. When I had my own social worker, I absolutely adored her. She took me out of a very dangerous situation that would have otherwise killed me. That small impact she made on me shaped the course of my life forever.

Since then, it has been my dream to follow in her footsteps and change as much as I can. I understand how it feels to be the neglected child, which is why I want to be there for the next generation. I would like to work with the mentally challenged and children. No matter how small or big of a change I make, it would mean the world to me that I even made a difference.

My mother is a big influence on my life and many of the choices I make. I have watched her make something out of nothing many times and that has done nothing but inspire me. She has given me everything I could ever ask for. Which is why I feel the need to graduate high school, to simply make her proud and see the smile on her face as I take my walk across the stage.

I wanted to participate in the SOAR Internship to gain experience working in the community so I can go into my social work practice with an idea of what I am getting into.

Mia Solares, 16
Football for Her

After high school graduation, my short-term goal is to enroll at UCLA, USC, Stanford, or the University of Michigan to study business and communications.

My two biggest influences have been my mother’s guidance and the growth in women's sports as I have grown up. My mother’s constant support, encouragement, and confidence in my abilities has been the rock that gives me the confidence to pursue my goals. Her influence has helped me believe that I can achieve whatever I want if I work hard. 

As a soccer player, seeing the growth of women's sports as I grow up has inspired me to want to do more. I’ve watched how female athletes have broken barriers and dispelled the stereotype that “men do it better.” Seeing that progress has encouraged me to make a positive impact and set goals for myself that contribute to the growth in women's sports.

After college, I aim to establish a career in business or communications and soccer. Whether in PR for a sports organization or the community impact department at a women’s team like ACFC, I want to contribute to community development through sports and to elevate the voices and achievements of women athletes.

I also hope that I will continue playing soccer, whether it is with my friends or in a team, because the sport brings me a sense of joy that I will cherish forever.

The SOAR Internship Program presents a unique chance for me to engage in hands-on experiences and collaborate with professionals who share my enthusiasm for soccer and community development.

Fernanda Soto-Garcia, 18
Female Force in Fabrication

I am a 2024 high school graduate about to enter college in the fall, most likely to study a STEM field.

While in high school, I founded Female Force in Fabrication (F³), a pioneering girls’ engineering club that made significant strides in increasing female participation in engineering at Hawthorne High School Manufacturing and Engineering Academy. When I started the club, girls made up only 5% of the academy’s population. Through relentless efforts in mentorship, outreach, and community engagement with F³, that number grew to 28%.

As club president, I managed and ran projects both within and outside of school. My leadership in these initiatives encouraged more young women to pursue careers in engineering, creating a more diverse and inclusive environment.

My family has been a constant source of support and inspiration. Their unwavering belief in my abilities, coupled with their unconditional love and encouragement, has provided me with the foundation and confidence to pursue my goals relentlessly. Whether it's celebrating my successes or offering guidance during moments of uncertainty, my family's support has been instrumental. The values instilled by my family, such as perseverance, integrity, and compassion, have profoundly influenced me. Their emphasis on the importance of education, hard work, and empathy has shaped not only my professional ambitions but also my broader aspirations to make a positive impact on the world.

I was drawn to SOAR because it offers a unique chance to gain experience in applying theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, honing my skills in data extraction, transformation, and audit preparation. I was also attracted to the mentorship dynamic of the shadowing portion, which allows me to seek guidance, ask questions, and receive constructive feedback from seasoned professionals in the field.

Sidney Wooldridge, 16
Play Equity Fund

I am passionate about driving community impact within the sports industry by collaborating with nonprofits and sports businesses that prioritize equity for women and women of color, especially in women's sports.

I aspire to become a sports psychologist to combine my love for athletics with my desire to help athletes overcome mental challenges, enhance their performance, and promote their overall well-being.

Additionally, I want to continue to give back to my community by participating in food drives, donating, and being a mentor to young athletes in need. One thing I've been doing and would love to continue is helping run soccer clinics at my local park.

My mom and brother have both been a huge influence on me. My brother got a full scholarship to college, and is now pursuing business and theology in graduate school. Throughout his college years, I've seen him travel and meet new people from all over the world, and it's been incredible to witness how those experiences have shaped him. 

My mom has always pushed me to be the best version of myself, and I appreciate that she never expected perfection. She taught me that making mistakes is okay, but what matters is what you do after that mistake, a lesson I have taken through soccer and life. She's shown me that I can make a difference in this world and bring happiness to myself and others. 

I've been playing soccer since I was 4 years old, and my love and passion for the game are still going strong. I'm a huge fan of Angel City. Let me tell you, the culture, atmosphere, and sense of community that Angel City fosters is truly captivating. It's not just about soccer; it's about making a difference and creating a better future for women's sports. That's something I deeply admire, which is a big part of why I wanted to participate in the SOAR Internship.