Our Participants

Leslie Montoya is a young Chicana chasing a dream in entertainment. After going to CSU Northridge and getting kicked out her first year, something kept her focused on her dream– she received an email to apply for GEI. She applied, completed the interview process, got into the program, and within two months landed her first internship as a Publicist Assistant at Revry TV/Potent PR. She knew she had to continue her education in order to succeed in entertainment, so she attended Santa Monica College then transferred to CSU Los Angeles. Wanting to expand her knowledge within the industry, she dove into internships at non-profits like Latino Donor Collaborative, social media companies like SUMA Wealth, and PR agencies like MPRM Communications. Thanks to GEI, she had the honor and privilege to visit Disney Studios in Burbank, Netflix Headquarters in Hollywood, and Wasserman Sports Agency in Westwood to learn and gain insight on the various opportunities in the industry. Now that she knows what the business side of entertainment looks like, she is inspired to one day sit in a C-Suite and inspire the next generation to never give up on their dreams.