Laura Trejo was born in 1959. She is a three-degree USC alumna, having earned her Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1982 and a Master of Science in gerontology and a Master of Public Administration in 1986. Trejo is a well-esteemed and highly accomplished academic and practitioner in the field of Gerontology. Growing up, she lived in a household with her grandmother, who suffered strokes and was unable to communicate. She not only helped her grandmother but also served as a bridge for her family who could not speak English by acting as their translator with the outside world. Studying aging was not always her plan, but she fell in love with gerontology because she loved “the idea of making a difference in the lives of older people.” With over thirty years of experience, Trejo now leads the Los Angeles Department of Aging. She works with Mayor Eric Garcetti, alongside numerous other city and county officials, to provide training and various services to members of older communities in LA. Trejo strives to improve Los Angeles through her work with the city, while also remaining involved with USC and its Leonard Davis School of Gerontology students.