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Chris Armendariz
Chris Armendariz parlayed his lifelong sports fandom and passion for A/V into a career as a video editor at ESPN. Over the last 12 years, Chris has worked on productions like College GameDay, Baseball Tonight, and NBA Countdown. He graduated from the Walter Cronkite School Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, and never would have made it that far without his mother and others who championed his education. Since then, he’s tried to help others in the same way. A lucky encounter with Anne Hawthorne from the Los Angeles United Methodist Urban Foundation introduced him to the amazing work being done at Kid City Hope Place, where he has volunteered as a mentor over the last several years. |
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Christy Illescas
Christy is the Communications and Development Coordinator through Americorps VISTA at Kid City. She is a first gen. college grad from Franklin & Marshall College and holds a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and French. After having the opportunity to become a Poetry teaching assistant at KC, Christy confirmed her passion for writing and was inspired by Kid City youth to use storytelling as a tool for elevating and projecting stories about culture, identity, and social justice. For fun, Christy enjoys keeping busy with her hands through the sport of boxing and making wire earrings. |
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Vicky Leon
Vicky received a bachelor’s degree in Developmental Psychology from UC Santa Barbara and a master’s degree in Education at Cal State Los Angeles. She taught 3rd - 6th grade students in the Los Angeles Unified School District for thirty-six years. In 2018, Vicky retired and decided to become a Kid City Mentor. Vicky is a member of Centenary United Methodist Church which has had a long-standing relationship with Kid City. Teachers from all over the world work together to sell their lessons online as members of Vicky’s company, The Best of Teacher Entrepreneurs Marketing Cooperative. |
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Jocelyn Martinez
A passionate storyteller, Jocelyn is a journalist sharing marginalized stories. She has a degree in English from UCLA, where she also minored in Chicanx Studies and devoted herself to student media. A first-generation college student, Jocelyn believes in the importance of making college accessible for all. A Kid City alum, volunteer, and mentor, she is currently an editorial and production assistant for two independent, LA-based media companies. When she’s not working, Jocelyn can be found reading, trying to meditate, enjoying nature, or seeking out the tastiest vegan food in LA. |
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Saul Nolasco
Saúl has a degree in psychology and a minor in education from UC Santa Barbara. He is currently in his first year at Cal State LA working towards a Master's in Social Work. His experiences with mental health and finding different systems of support motivate him to become a healing-centered therapist and be affirming people's self-worth. Saúl values self-expression through different mediums and celebrating joy with others. In his spare time, he practices different creative skills such as developing film, learning new recipes, and practicing how to tattoo. |
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Jessely Serrano
Jessely joined Kid City in 2013 and was part of the Kid City band back when it was still called the Baked Potatoes. In 2020 she* graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in American Studies and a minor in Journalism. Since American Studies is an interdisciplinary major, Jessely was able to choose a mix of digital media and business courses to base my major on. Jessely is a part time DJ at the college radio station KALX and prior to COVID also wrote concert reviews for the KALX weblog. Jessely is currently expanding her digital marketing skills through COOP Careers, a non-profit educational program aimed at helping her secure her first job out of college.
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