Building their Future While Rebuilding Their Community

When thousands of families lost their homes in the devastating Eaton wildfire in January, the scale of loss was unimaginable. The path to recovery and rebuilding seemed uncertain. Six months later, a powerful vision has emerged thanks to the inaugural Pasadena City College Summer Construction Career Program as high school students from the community are stepping up—not just to rebuild homes, but to rebuild the future of their communities while exploring a career path and United Way of Greater Los Angeles is proud to be part of their journey.

“You’re really making history today in Los Angeles, and United Way is thrilled to be a part of it,” Elise Buik, President & CEO of United Way of Greater Los Angeles, told the inaugural class of the program during a showcase event on July 29. “We believe in the power of community colleges as a pathway to prosperity, and that is what today is about. It is no surprise that we are in Pasadena because, as we have come to learn, innovation happens in Pasadena. Ideas get translated into action, and they get translated very quickly.”

These students, many of whom were directly affected by the Eaton fire, are gaining hands-on experience in welding, electrical work, building inspection, and industrial fabrication. The program, offered in partnership with Harbor Freight Tools for Schools and the L.A. County Skilled Trades Summers, equips them with valuable construction skills and college credit, laying the foundation for both personal and community transformation.

Clinton Troung (left) and Emmanuel Casillas.

For many students, the motivation is deeply personal. One participant in the electrical class shared, “I joined to help rebuild my own home and my friends’ homes. I want to help in any way I can.” Others like Clinton Truong, a Gabrielino High School student, value the opportunity to “explore construction as a future career.” Rosemead High School’s student Emmanuel Casillas shared that he is loving the program because “our professor explains the concepts of all trades of construction, and that opens my eyes to what my future career can be.”

“I have been working in construction since I was 9 years old. My father was a construction worker, and every summer I would go to work with my dad,” said Eloy Zarate, Assistant Professor at Pasadena City College. “One of the great things about this program is that we are giving students opportunities, we are investing in them. If I had the opportunity to take a program like this and help my family financially and be trained, I would have taken it.”

To further support the program, United Way partnered with the Los Angeles Rams to host WalkUnitedLA at the Rose Bowl on July 20. The event brought together over 4,200 Angelenos and raised $500,000. Part of the proceeds will support the PCC’s Construction Career Program and other recovery efforts. These funds will also support United Way’s initiatives that promote education, housing, and economic opportunity for low-income families across Los Angeles County.

“We’ll do whatever we can to support our neighbors—not just to get back to where we were, but to build something even better,” said José A. Gómez, Pasadena City College President, who also noted that the construction program is not just a PCC initiative but one for the whole region. “United Way’s broader mission of equity, access, and rebuilding in Los Angeles County is deeply meaningful. We are grateful that the United Way has made us not just a part of the event by having a team there, but also by investing in our community.”

Please help us expand access to these vital training opportunities. Your support ensures more local students can gain the skills, experience, and college credit they need to launch fulfilling careers—and contribute to their community’s recovery. You can donate here to our Wildfire Response Fund to support long-term recovery efforts and community-driven rebuilding and healing.

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