Paola Schenkelberg is the Program Director at VYLA. She immigrated from Mexico at a young age and had to navigate the K-12 school system as an undocumented student, leading her to work with disenfranchised youth and communities in the non-profit sector. Her passion for helping others led her to Social Work, where she has been supporting non-profits in Los Angeles for the last 15 years.  

As Program Director, she leads the day-to-day operations of the organization; and builds and fosters relationships with youth, partners, and the community. Paola supports the overall mission of VYLA to work with Angeleno youth to build flourishing communities.    

Prior to joining VYLA, Paola was the External Affairs Director at Communities In Schools of Los Angeles (CISLA), where she launched the External Affairs Department, with advocacy and student and parent voices as the key components. 

Paola is a strong proponent of systems change and empowering our communities to be their best advocates. She holds a Masters in Social Work (MSW) degree from the University of Southern California (USC) with an emphasis on Community Organizing, Planning and Administration.