Alumni
Mentoring
Program
THE A LU MNI MENTORING
PROGR A M was created to
connect current students
and recent graduates
with successful Alumni
in various professions to
help them learn, grow and
prepare for their future. As
COVID-19 opened the door
to the "virtual classroom,"
Alumni from all over the
country were able to Zoom
in to our Palmer Trinity
School classrooms and
offer career and life advice.
This year, we were fortunate
to have the following guest
speakers mentor and
inspire our students.
Carlos Huerta '01, Director at Bank of America, spoke to
Financial Algebra students about careers in banking.
Jaquen Castellanos '09, a Writer's Guild Award-
nominated writer in Los Angeles, spoke to our American
Literature classes about her journey as a writer.
Danielle Befeler '09, an immigration attorney, spoke to our Women's Studies
class to help students gain a deeper understanding of human rights with
regards to immigration, asylum seekers and the Violence Against Women Act.
Michele (Baker) Benesch '89, President of Menu Men,
Inc., encouraged Social Entrepreneurship students to
remember social responsibility as they develop new
business ideas.
Kamal Moo '98, an entertainment lawyer in Los
Angeles and author of The Straightforward Guide
to the Music Biz, gave music students advice about
breaking into the music industry.
Victoria Garcia '01, Rebecca Dahdah '08, and Alexa Tannebaum '17, all
strong women in STEM, spoke to the SWENext Club (Society of Women
in Engineering – High School Chapter) about their experience in STEM
careers and opportunities in the field.
Victoria Varela '05, Outreach Coordinator at Lotus House Women's
Shelter, spoke to Social Entrepreneurship students about the reality of
poverty and homelessness in the US.
Curt Lary '17, Founder of Hextronics—a revolutionary drone technology—
met with our Apollo Club, SWENext Club and Computer Science classes
to talk about his invention and even recruit new interns to help with his
product launch.
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