FEATURES

For nearly two decades, Dr. David Nieto has shaped a culture across Hacienda La Puente Unified School District. In his three years as principal at Sparks Middle School, he has built a community where students are seen, heard, and empowered to lift others. Through hands-on mentorship and programs like the Youth Cinema Project that connect students with their community, his leadership is rooted in guiding, listening, and giving back.

For the past couple of years, producer Simone Kirlew has been a steady creative force behind the Youth Cinema Project Alumni Fellowship films, serving as producer mentor for the program’s last two alumni productions while acting as a vital link between the Latino Film Institute and each production team. Beyond nurturing the fellows’ creative vision, she oversaw the coordination that allowed each film to come to life, managing logistics, schedules, and on-the-ground production needs with precision and care.

For Miguel Angel Caballero, storytelling has always been about community, both the one he comes from and the one he is helping build. As producer mentor for the 2026 YCP Alumni Fellowship, he brings more than 15 years of experience producing, writing, and directing films that move audiences while opening doors for others to step behind the camera.

Dr. Rachel Raimist has always understood the power of storytelling to shape lives. Long before she directed episodes for major networks or broke barriers within the Directors Guild of America, she experienced firsthand how filmmaking could uncover truth and inspire change.

Dr. Ana DeGenna’s path into education wasn’t one she expected. With an undergraduate degree in economics, she originally imagined a future in public policy.