Young Professionals Council
Young Professional Council (YPC), TCEP's new initiative, will provide a space for young professionals 21-30 to develop personal leadership skills while growing their professional networks as they support TCEP in fundraising and stakeholder engagement. Stay tuned for upcoming informational and applications for those interested in joining our next cohort.
Interested in Applying?
Application Due
October 27th at Midnight
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Interviews
TBD
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Please submit application to ollintcep@tcepchicago.org with the subject heading as: "Your First, Last Name - YPC 2025" with your resume attached.
Upcoming Events
Get to know our current YPC members and TCEP staff at our upcoming events!
Get to Know Us
Happy Hour
October 23rd at 6pm
1400 West 46th Street, Chicago, IL, USA
The Young Professional Council (YPC), is TCEP's new initiative. It provides a space for young professionals 21-30 to develop personal leadership skills while growing their professional networks as they support TCEP in fundraising and stakeholder engagement. Come and join us for Happy Hour at SomosMonos, pizza will be provided and drinks are for purchase.
Baseball Night with TCEP Recap
Thank you to everyone that joined us for Baseball Night with TCEP!! We had over 70 supporters who came out to support TCEP at the Sox Fundraiser, and field with lots of energy. We hope that everyone that attended had a good time and we can't wait to see all of you at our next event!
COUNCIL MEMBERS
2025-2026
Herminia Sanchez- Gonzalez
Student Voice Support
CPS Department of Student Voice& Engagement
YPC President
Herminia Sanchez-Gonzalez was born and raised in La Villita, Chicago. Herminia supports Student Voice through her work in The CPS Department of Student Voice & Engagement. As student voice support, she connects with students across Chicago and in partnership creates opportunities for other students districtwide. She received her Bachelors in Social Work from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Herminia is also a proud Farragut Career Academy alum, the place where her passion for advocacy began. Herminia believes youth can create change in their communities and as adults we are responsible for creating spaces that nurture and strengthen their agency. Herminia also enjoys cooking a variety of foods, gardening and going on nature walks!
Alejandra Reyes
Resource Coordinator
Enlance Chicago at McCormick Elementary
YPC Secretary/VP
Alejandra Reyes is a Resource Coordinator with Enlace Chicago at McCormick Elementary since 2019. Alejandra’s role is to be the liaison between the school and Enlace in order to provide resources, programs and events that target the needs of the community school as a whole. All through collaborating with admin, managing the grant and building trusting relationships with the students & families. She was part of Ollin for years before transitioning to her role at Enlace. Alejandra is working towards obtaining her Bachelors in her desired career -education. She is passionate about working in her community. Her favorite color is pink, her dream dog is a golden retriever, sunny days are her favorite and taking walks is now her favorite hobby.
Lizbeth Gutierrez
Case Manager
The Salvation Army LaVillita Corps
YPC Treasurer
Lizbeth is a case manager with The Salvation Army in La Villita. Her role involves supporting families in moments of crisis and facilitating their journey toward stability by establishing connections with community organizations. Previously, she worked as a Youth Care Worker at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, where she mentored and led groups focused on mental and emotional growth and developed intervention plans for youth and their families. Lizbeth holds a BA in Sociology/Anthropology with a concentration in Human Services from Monmouth College. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exploring new restaurants in Chicago, and going on bike rides.
Isabel Martinez
Youth Program Coordinator
Telpochcalli Community Education Project
Isabel is a Youth Program Coordinator at Telpochcalli Community Education Project in Little Village. She is in her last year at The University of Illinois Chicago pursuing a BA in Business Management Administration with a minor in Real Estate. She is currently serving as an executive board member of the Real Estate Club and is a member of Association of Latino Professionals for America at UIC. She has been actively involved in her community from a young age, she worked hands-on with various initiatives, developing skills in leadership and community outreach. She is proud to serve as a coordinator, working to enhance opportunities for young people. Her experiences have fueled her passion for mentorship and community service. She is eager to connect with like-minded individuals and explore opportunities that will allow her to blend her academic knowledge. Some interesting facts about her are that she is a 1st Generation student, the oldest of 4 siblings, and has 2 baby turtles!
Isabel Martinez
Youth Program Coordinator
Telpochcalli Community Education Project
Isabel is a Youth Program Coordinator at Telpochcalli Community Education Project in Little Village. She is in her last year at The University of Illinois Chicago pursuing a BA in Business Management Administration with a minor in Real Estate. She is currently serving as an executive board member of the Real Estate Club and is a member of Association of Latino Professionals for America at UIC. She has been actively involved in her community from a young age, she worked hands-on with various initiatives, developing skills in leadership and community outreach. She is proud to serve as a coordinator, working to enhance opportunities for young people. Her experiences have fueled her passion for mentorship and community service. She is eager to connect with like-minded individuals and explore opportunities that will allow her to blend her academic knowledge. Some interesting facts about her are that she is a 1st Generation student, the oldest of 4 siblings, and has 2 baby turtles!
Isabel Martinez
Youth Program Coordinator
Telpochcalli Community Education Project
Isabel is a Youth Program Coordinator at Telpochcalli Community Education Project in Little Village. She is in her last year at The University of Illinois Chicago pursuing a BA in Business Management Administration with a minor in Real Estate. She is currently serving as an executive board member of the Real Estate Club and is a member of Association of Latino Professionals for America at UIC. She has been actively involved in her community from a young age, she worked hands-on with various initiatives, developing skills in leadership and community outreach. She is proud to serve as a coordinator, working to enhance opportunities for young people. Her experiences have fueled her passion for mentorship and community service. She is eager to connect with like-minded individuals and explore opportunities that will allow her to blend her academic knowledge. Some interesting facts about her are that she is a 1st Generation student, the oldest of 4 siblings, and has 2 baby turtles!
Saul Garcia
History Teacher at Little Village Lawndale High School
Chicago Public Schools (CPS)
When I was younger I was very involved around my community of Little Village. It was through that involvement that my consciousness of social justice issues in our community, this was the spark that led to me going back to college to complete my bachelors in Teaching of History from UIC. For the last few years I have been very involved at my school, Social Justice High School, as well as my union, CTU, but I have felt very disconnected from the ins and outs of what is happening in my community. I feel it’s time to return to my roots so that I can reconnect with community organizing in Little Village.
Isabel Martinez
Youth Program Coordinator
Telpochcalli Community Education Project
Isabel is a Youth Program Coordinator at Telpochcalli Community Education Project in Little Village. She is in her last year at The University of Illinois Chicago pursuing a BA in Business Management Administration with a minor in Real Estate. She is currently serving as an executive board member of the Real Estate Club and is a member of Association of Latino Professionals for America at UIC. She has been actively involved in her community from a young age, she worked hands-on with various initiatives, developing skills in leadership and community outreach. She is proud to serve as a coordinator, working to enhance opportunities for young people. Her experiences have fueled her passion for mentorship and community service. She is eager to connect with like-minded individuals and explore opportunities that will allow her to blend her academic knowledge. Some interesting facts about her are that she is a 1st Generation student, the oldest of 4 siblings, and has 2 baby turtles!
Pablo Rodriguez
Avanza Post Secondary Coach
Enlace Chicago
Pablo Rodriguez is a proud Queer Undocumented Mexican-American who was raised in Houston, Texas but is now proud to call Chicago home. Through his time in these two amazing cities he has become obsessed with urban planning, education, cultural immersion, and social justice. Pablo got a degree from Northwestern university where he studied Latina/o studies with a certificate in Energy and Sustainability. Pablo is constantly looking for new opportunities to learn and engage across the city, which influences him to become an active volunteer with organizations like Openlands, Little Village Environmental Coalition, and Plant Chicago. Pablo is currently working as a Post Secondary Coach with Enlace Chicago at two Little Village CPS schools. Pablo hopes to merge his love for education, urban planning, and green spaces by hoping to become a Arborist and Urban Planner to continue the work of advocating for green spaces especially in areas that need it the most like Black and Brown communities.