Staff: Laila Cortez (She/Her)

Laila Cortez is a Professional Mentor with Friends of the Children Los Angeles, where she is dedicated to building meaningful, consistent, and long-term relationships with youth and their families. She is passionate about helping youths navigate challenges, build confidence, develop self-advocacy skills, and access opportunities to reach their goals. Laila believes every youth deserves a reliable support system grounded in care, encouragement, and trust.

Before joining Friends of the Children Los Angeles, Laila gained experience supporting youth across K-12 settings, including special education, tutoring, and college access programs. These experiences strengthened her belief that supporting youth goes beyond academics and requires understanding their individual experiences, strengths, and aspirations.

Laila earned her Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics, with an emphasis in Speech-Language Sciences and Disorders and a minor in Educational Studies, from the University of California, Santa Barbara. As a first-generation Latina college graduate, she is committed to giving back to her community and supporting meaningful generational change.

Laila is passionate about creating spaces where youth feel seen, heard, and valued. She is excited to walk alongside the youth she mentors, celebrate their strengths, support them through challenges, and help them recognize their ability to shape their own futures.