Meet Our New Mentors!

We at GTWT are excited to announce that this month we have added seven new mentor/mentee partnerships to our Mentoring Program! We are excited for our mentors and mentees to get to know one another and are hopeful that meaningful and enduring relationships will be formed to have a transformative impact.

To commemorate this exciting season of growth from our program, we'd like to introduce a few of our new mentors: Ana Paula de Morais and Beatriz Sosa-Prado!

 

Name: Ana Paula de Morais

Occupation: Supervisor at a Logistics company. 

City Of Residence: Los Angeles, CA

Why did you become a mentor at GTWT?

I believe I can positively impact the life of a young woman by sharing my life experiences. I moved to the U.S. many years ago from Brazil and have been living on my own ever since. I graduated in International Business in Brazil and have been working at a Logistics company for 10 years. Besides that, I also opened my own jewelry business. I think creating jewelry is a fun hobby to have. 

 
What is something you look forward to doing with your mentee?

Girls Today Women Tomorrow is a great program and I am looking forward to support a young woman on her career choices and also to become a friend!

I think this can be a rewarding relationship for both her and I.

Name: Beatriz Sosa-Prado; I also go as Bea or Bety.

Occupation: Basically, I am a student of life and always will be! I just earned my master’s degree in Health Science from Cal State Long Beach. I am an intern at the NLCR/CSULB Center for Latino Community Health, Evaluation and Leadership Training helping one of the professors develop activities for a graduate course that focus on Latino nutrition, health and chronic disease prevention. Additionally, I am a volunteer research assistant for the UCLA-USC Center for Population Health and Health Disparities; the project I work in focuses on reducing cardiovascular disease risk among Latinos in East Los Angeles. On top of all of that I am preparing my Ph.D. programs applications! I am committed to social justice and improving the Latino community’s health.

Neighborhood/City of residence: I was born in Mexico City, grew up in Netzahualcoyotl, Estado de Mexico and attended up to 2^nd grade there. Upon arriving to L.A. I grew up in the Westlake area. I currently live with my husband in the Palms neighborhood, near Culver City.

Why did you become a mentor at GTWT?

While researching public health programs and interventions for one of my glad school classes, I came across the GTWT website. GTWT helped me model my class assignment: create a program that facilitates the empowerment of young Latinas in Los Angeles. I always wanted to become a GTWT mentor, but for one reason or another the timing was never quite right as I had multiple commitments. Now that I finished my master’s and applying for my doctorate, I realized that I am where I am because of the kindness, guidance and belief in me of my amazing mentors.

The Latino population is rapidly growing and it’s imperative that our Latina/os are prepared to bring California and our country forward. I want to be thatamiga/hermana/tia/madrina, inspiration and light for a young Latina who will contribute making our communities healthier and civically engaged. By contributing as a mentor I am already making a change in my community.

What is something you look forward to doing with your mentee?

I am very excited to meet my mentee!!! I look forward to both of us meeting our families, talk about culture, creating a road map and help prepare her for higher education, goal setting, creating healthy habits, getting fit together,building emotional intelligence and networking skills,reading great books, being self-aware, taking care of our planet/environment, and loving one self and much more!

 Please join us in welcoming Ana Paula and Beatriz to the GTWT family!