Recognizing a Local Champion for Youth

I want to introduce you to Alejandro "Alex" Soschin, a great member of our community who I nominated as the CD 11 local champion for youth as part of the City's Week of the Young Child. Alejandro founded LA SCORES, a non-profit after-school program for under-served youth in the Palms community. Since 2002, LA SCORES has grown from a pilot program with a few dozen students in 3 grades to over 250 enrolled students on four campuses from K to 8th grades learning soccer, poetry and community service. The program has been recognized by the Mattel children's Foundation as their Community Partner for the past two years, and is a member of LAUSD's Beyond the Bell after-school partnership.

In addition to his work with LA SCORES, Alejandro has worked in the nonprofit community as part of the Topsail Youth Program's middle school initiatives in Los Angeles. He also served as an inner-city elementary school coordinator for Peace Games in Boston and as a consultant on NGOs to the Inter-American Development Bank in Mexico. A lifelong soccer fanatic, Alejandro has played, coached and refereed throughout his career. Alejandro received his B.A. from Harvard University with a concentration in Political Science. Along with his duties as Executive Director of LA Scores, Alejandro was a member of the Palms Neighborhood Council's (PNC) Advisory Board & Organizing Committee, currently serves on my Empowerment Congress Education Committee in CD11, as well as an advisor to the Westside Regional Center's Peer Mentor pilot program.

I want to express my deep gratitude to Alex for all of the great work he has done and will continue to do for Los Angeles youth.

-Bill