On Wednesday, July 8, 2026, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon returned to her roots with a message of perseverance and possibility during a visit to the digital fabrication laboratories at Laney College and College of Alameda. While visiting, she announced a combined $250,000 investment to support innovation, student success, and workforce development across the two campuses.

Laney student Leah Vass wrote an excellent story about how she managed to combine her curiosity about what she could do in the Laney FabLab and a course in the Culinary Arts Department about confections into a new career. These, combined with training in the Graphic Arts Department led her to start a company making chocolates for social and corporate events.