Mrs. Patty has lived in Compton since she was a child, and lives there now with her husband and five children, their ages ranging from kindergarten to 11th grade. Three of her kids go to St. Lawrence Elementary School in Watts, which is where she...
When asking Meryland what she likes to do for fun, she talks about her family. She loves to play with her 3-year-old sister, “Instead of me making her laugh, she makes me laugh.” She helps her mom cook and make rice, mole, and soup. She...
Officer Navarro became a mentor 2 years ago when another Operation Progress mentor recommended the program, thinking she’d be a great fit. When asking Navarro why she decided to become a mentor, she reminisced about her time in the Marine Corps, “I saw that the...
Keeben Marks, a dedicated OP parent, has lived in Watts for the past decade. When he learned about the opportunities that Operation Progress could give his children, he decided to go all in. “My daughter Amir has been in Operation Progress since about third grade....
Officer LaSalle Culpepper is a massively built man, adept with his fists and firearms, but also with a caring heart. As a member of the LAPD’s elite Metropolitan Division, he often finds himself patrolling the streets of Southwest Division—the same streets where he grew up. In...
Kejuan Brooks was always athletic, but Operation Progress opened his eyes to the larger world. The 12-year-old was already excelling in football, playing offense, defense and special teams for the Watts Bears, when Officer Grant Goosby challenged him to try something more. Instead of just focusing...