A record number of 31 youth aged 14-21 were eligible to work at one of 20 worksites that stepped up to be part of this important program. The TANF program provides these career exploration opportunities with the support of departments and businesses within the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians’ reach as well as some at the Santa Rosa and Cahuilla reservations and in the city of Riverside where other TANF program offices are located.

All potential youth workers are required to complete the same job application process as any Soboba employee would. This gives them first-hand experience and insight into the work world and what they can expect in the future. Once accepted into the work program, they spend a full week of pre-employment training.

Soboba TANF Senior Program Specialist Annalisa Tucker said during this time, youth completed several foundational certifications and workforce‑readiness activities. Each participant earned their CPR & First Aid certification, obtained a food handler’s card, and finished their new‑hire orientation with Human Resources. They also engaged in mock interviews, learned practical skills on how to be a successful employee, and took theCOPS (Career Occupational Preference System) career assessment to identify potential career paths and college majors that aligned with their strengths. In addition, youth participated in leadership development activities designed to build confidence, communication, and teamwork. Employers are asked to complete performance evaluations that rate the quality of work, quantity of work, job knowledge and work habits displayed by the young workers under their supervision throughout their employment.

Even though some of the workers were returning to a job site they had been at in previous years, a Managers Meet-and-Greet luncheon on June 18 was a welcome kick-off before they were set to start their assigned jobs on June 22. The youth were able to discuss scheduling with their new bosses. Many of them have high school sports practices and other obligations to be considered while managers discussed some of the projects that needed to be completed and explained how they could help their departments during the six-week program.

Regional TANF Manager Harold Arres welcomed everyone to the event and told the youth to be proud of themselves for taking the initiative to apply. He introduced Soboba’s Tribal Executive Officer Steven Estrada to say a few words to the youth after providing a blessing.

“You should congratulate yourselves on the dedication that you’re showing,” Estrada said. “It’s nice to earn a little bit of income over the summer but this is really an extra slice of Trial sovereignty. Tribal programs are an extension of Tribal government and shows what Tribes have the authority to do. We have 19 different departments within the Soboba Tribal administration, employing over 300 individuals who make this their career.”

Estrada shared that he got his start in Tribal programs as a teenager when he volunteered at the Santa Rosa Tribal office during the summer. He began working in cultural monitoring and got a job at Soboba doing monitoring which rolled into the Environmental Department.

“I continued to dedicate myself to Tribal government, working in these Tribal programs and now I am overseeing the whole administration, reporting to Tribal Council,” he said. “You can’t do it alone. You really need to maintain these relationships and carry yourselves professionally. I have an amazing team of dedicated leaders within their departments. So remember that this is not just a job; it’s a career you can grow into. You guys are making Tribal government work so give yourselves a round of applause.”

A special guest speaker at the event was Soboba’s oldest living Tribal member, Teresa Silvas Seaton, who was born on April 21, 1930. She shared her lifetime of work experience and what advantages it provided.

“When I was born at Soboba Hospital, there weren’t many opportunities for Native Americans, especially the women,” she said. She felt fortunate to be able to work with her mother at a young age and helping with the apricot harvest and as a teenager at the cannery in Hemet. After graduating from high school in 1948, Seaton joined the Army Air Force.

“All this led to me being responsible, reliable, and resourceful,” Seaton said. She said if she could accomplish all that she did when there were limited opportunities available, she encouraged the youth to take advantage of all that is offered to them these days.

Allynn Silvas was excited to be assigned to work with the Soboba Sports Complex ground crew. His supervisors are Alex Alvarado, who is the Maintenance Lead at the Sports Complex and Fabian Correa, who is also in charge of maintenance for the crew that also takes care of the grounds at The Oaks.

“I’ve lived on the rez since I was five and my dad took me to work with him, so I grew up watching the way things work around here,” said Allynn, 16, whose father is Parks and Recreation Director Andy Silvas. “I always watched these guys work, day in and day out, and I know they do a lot. I’m just looking forward to being helpful.”

Jerimyah Saenz is working with Tribal chef Anita Morillo and her team at the kitchen for the second year in a row. The sixteen-year-old has already chosen to attend culinary school after he finishes high school and this program gives him an insider’s view to all aspects of kitchen operations. Not only is he learning about menu planning and how to operate different types of equipment, but he is also building life skills. The Tribal kitchen is responsible for preparing food for Tribal meetings, weekend events, program lunches and more.

Soboba’s Roadrunner Express has been a popular worksite and has welcomed WE LEAD participants since the store opened in 2023. Store Managers Linda Whitener and Tony Brimer will oversee four youth workers this year who will learn about the daily operations of the 24/7 store and service station.

“Customer service is always number one on our list of what is most important for them to learn,” Brimer said. From checking in deliveries to stocking shelves and cashiering, there is always something to be done at the busy store. He said following the schematics throughout the store helps them stock the shelves and that in turn teaches them where items are located so they can guide customers in the right direction. Brimer said it is this type of helpfulness that brings customers back.

Whitener said two of the workers, Bentley Resvaloso and Ete’tish Arviso are new to the worksite, but Domingo Resvaloso and Ginger Velazquez are returnees. Supervisors enjoy the program because the youth come in wanting to learn. The managers said they are full of energy and willing to do whatever is asked of them.

Danny Placencia is a recent graduate of San Jacinto Valley Academy and already has decided he wants to become a mechanic and/or a welder. Fortunately, Soboba Public Works is part of the WE LEAD program and offers him a chance to get his hands dirty working with the mechanics.

The department is responsible for anything Soboba-related and that includes 225 vehicles, 25 generators, seven fire trucks and a number of Noli school buses. The work they do is about 50 percent routine maintenance and 50 percent repair work.

Mechanic Alex Gutierrez and Head Mechanic Russ Hanson said Danny shadows them as they talk him through whatever they are working on. They explain each step as well as tools they are using and why. Danny helped them pull a motor out of one of the Kubota utility vehicles that is used by the Sports Complex maintenance crew. They replaced a rear bumper and some truck motor mounts on Public Safety vehicles. He has also been able to do some welding while also helping them reorganize the garage.

This is Danny’s first time in the program because in prior years his school sports obligations prevented him from participating.

“I’ve been around mechanics my whole life because of my uncles and cousins,” Danny said. He credits Michael “Bud” Ward, Michael Placencia, and his grandfather Glen Placencia for being a great influence on him. “They’ve all been great role models,” he said.

Soboba Preschool Director Lenora “Ponie” Mojado appreciated the extra hands as staff and teachers prepare for the new school year, which begins Aug. 4. Liberty High School junior Carolyn Hurtado, 16, and San Jacinto High School senior Kimani Resvaloso-Sanchez, 17, were happy to help during the final days of summer school and a special family-oriented event on July 9.

Carolyn’s future career goal is to be an attorney for Native Americans and Kimani has her sights set on being a teacher now that she has been able to learn more about it during this experience. Both enjoyed working with the children and engaging with their families. Decorating the kindergarten classroom was a special treat for Kimani who was a member of the first graduating class at the new preschool building.

“I was surprised at seeing what it is like on the teachers’ level which was so much different from what I saw when I was here just helping out,” Kimani said. She plans to use her earnings to purchase some school clothes and items needed as a member of her high school’s cheerleading team for the third year. She attends cheer practice from 6 to 8 a.m. followed by summer school classes before reporting for work at 12:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. She said the busy schedule has helped her learn important time management skills.

“This (WE LEAD) program gives young kids a chance to see what to expect after school ends and they can learn all kinds of life skills in the process,” Kimani said.

Carolyn said the program is amazing because it gives youth the opportunity to experience working in different departments and with a variety of projects. She also said the budget information that was provided during the orientation week was very helpful.

“I plan to save for a vehicle or just to get financially stable,” Carolyn said. This summer’s income will contribute greatly to her goal.

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But the rise of artificial intelligence has scrambled those calculations. The basic skills she was learning in things like statistical analysis and coding can now easily be automated. “Everyone has a fear that entry-level jobs will be taken by AI,” said the 20-year-old at Miami University in Ohio.

A few weeks ago, Timperman switched her major to marketing. Her new strategy is to use her undergraduate studies to build critical thinking and interpersonal skills — areas where humans still have an edge.

“You don’t just want to be able to code. You want to be able to have a conversation, form relationships and be able to think critically, because at the end of the day, that’s the thing that AI can’t replace,” said Timperman, who is keeping analytics as a minor and plans to dive deeper into the subject for a one-year master’s program.

Today’s college students say that picking a major that’s “AI-proof” feels like shooting at a moving target as they prepare for a job market that could be fundamentally different by the time they graduate.

As a result, many are reconsidering their career paths. About 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, while recent Gallup polling finds U.S. workers are increasingly concerned about being replaced by new technologies.

Students seeking majors that teach ‘human’ skills

The uncertainty appears most concentrated among those pursuing degrees in technology and vocational areas of study, where students feel a need to develop expertise in AI but also fear being replaced by it. A recent Quinnipiac poll found the vast majority of Americans believe it’s “very” or “somewhat” important for college and university students to be taught how to use AI, as Gallup Workforce polling finds AI is getting adopted in technology-related fields at higher rates. Meanwhile, students studying healthcare and natural sciences may be less impacted by AI overhauls, Gallup found.

“We see students all the time change majors. That’s not new or different. But it’s usually for a ton of different reasons,” said Courtney Brown, a vice president at Lumina, an education nonprofit focused on increasing the number of students who seek education beyond high school. “The fact that so many students say it’s because of AI — that is startling.”

A recent Gallup poll of Generation Z youth and adults, between the ages of 14 and 29, found increasing skepticism and concerns about AI. Although half of Gen Z adults use AI at least “weekly,” and teenagers report higher use, many in this generation see drawbacks to the technology and worry about AI’s impact on their cognitive abilities and job prospects. About half — 48% — of Gen Z workers say the risks of AI in the workforce outweigh the possible benefits.

Part of the challenge for college students is that the experts they would typically turn to for advice, like advisers, professors and parents, don’t have any answers. “Students are having to navigate this on their own, without a GPS,” says Brown.

That uncertainty was evident last month at Stanford University, where the leaders of several prominent universities gathered for a wide-ranging panel discussion on the future of higher education. Topics of concern included the AI revolution that is transforming how students learn and forcing educators to rethink pedagogy.

“We need to think really hard about what students need to learn to be successful in the job market in 10, 20, 30 years,” said Brown University President Christina Paxson.

“And none of us know. We don’t know the answer to that,” Paxson said. “I think it’s communication, it’s critical thought. The fundamentals of a liberal education are probably more important than learning how to code in Java right now.”

Anxiety also reaches computer science majors

Computer science major Ben Aybar, 22, graduated last spring from the University of Chicago and applied for about 50 jobs, mostly in software engineering, without getting a single interview. He pivoted to a master’s degree in computer science and meanwhile has found part-time work doing AI consulting for companies.

“People who know how to use AI will be very valuable,” said Aybar, who sees new jobs emerging that require AI skills, particularly for people who can explain the complexities in layman’s terms. “Being able to talk to people and interact with people in a very human way I think is more valuable than ever.”

At the University of Virginia, data science major Ava Lawless is wondering if her major is worthwhile but can’t get concrete answers. Some advisers feel that data scientists will be safe because they’re the ones building AI models, but she keeps seeing gloomy job reports that indicate the contrary.

“It makes me feel a bit hopeless for the future,” Lawless said. “What if by the time I graduate there’s not even a job market for this anymore?”

She is considering switching to studio art, which is her minor.

“I’m at a point where I’m thinking if I can’t get a job being a data scientist, I might as well pursue art,” she said. “Because if I’m going to be unemployed, I might as well do something I love.”

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