Pride in Boyle Heights: Jaci Cortez

In and out of foster homes while coming to terms with her sexuality, there was a time when Jaci Cortez found herself facing unique struggles tied to her intersectional identity. When the Boyle Heights Beat first spoke to her in 2018, she was a student at East Los Angeles Community College studying American Sign Language while dealing with housing insecurity. Since then, Jaci has graduated from Rio Hondo College with a couple Associates Degrees. Jaci founded Sunflower Foster Youth Investment in 2020 in efforts to help current and former foster youth with resources.