Student Testimonials from the Transforming Futures 2024 Program

Megan Deevy, an environmental studies major with a concentration in conservation science and policy, interned with Reef Renewal in Curacao, gaining valuable hands-on experience working in environmental restoration. This internship provided critical training to prepare her for a career in ecology and conservation while exposing her to the ins and outs of working with a small organization abroad.

Deevy was able to see the real-world impact of her work, including “being able to physically add to the growth of the reef through filling the trees in the coral nursery, to making out plant tables and out-planting the coral to them,” she says. Her internship also allowed her to work with a research institute, SECORE, an international non-profit organization focused on genetically diversifying corals for coral restoration initiatives.

The most interesting part of her internship? Seeing the coral she planted spawn, an event that only happens once or twice a year. “This spawning event happened on the full moon In August, and we got to help catch the spawns on the reef to then bring back to their lab to genetically diversify the species of coral,” she explained, which her team accomplished by “going on night dives for a week to find the corals that were spawning,” allow them to successfully see two large spawning events.

The most important thing Deevy learned was “the amount of work that goes on behind the scenes of a non-profit organization in order to make it function,” she says. From grant writing and fundraising to outreach and partnership management, Deevy learned more about the day-to-day responsibilities of non-profit managers. Without the Transforming Futures scholarship, Deevy would not have been able to pursue this opportunity and progress toward her professional goals of leveraging technology in scientific fields. Going forward, she is eager to build on this foundation of knowledge and continue to apply what she has learned to conduct research.

Lea Toledo is a cognitive science major seeking to work in hospitals after graduating. This past summer, she used her Transforming Futures internship scholarship to make connections in the field at Boston Children’s Hospital’s Loddenkemper Lab as an epilepsy research intern.

Her time in the lab built on her classroom experience and prepared her to use different software, such as those used in the Psychology Department’s research labs. As an epilepsy research intern, she helped hire new interns, collect data, create visualizations, and complete patient distributions. At the beginning of her internship, she set goals around patient enrollment processing, creating a newsletter, and helping with data visualization, all of which she could accomplish over only a few months in her role.

Her favorite part about her experience? “Definitely learning about epilepsy seizures and analyzing the EEG data that came from it,” she says. Now, she feels confident to ask about other professions, expand her knowledge, and build her professional network.

Through the Institute for Social Transformation’s Transforming Futures summer internship scholarship, Harmonie Malengo (politics major) interned with Decenterd Arts as a Marketing and Communications Specialist. This role was perfectly aligned with Malengo’s post-undergraduate goals and was a great opportunity to work within a larger team and contribute to multiple projects.

Her favorite part of this internship? “Helping underrepresented artists,” she says, including helping promote an event series called Poolside Poets, which allows artists to showcase their work for free and get paid for their participation. Malengo enjoyed being able to co-work in person with the team, which allowed her to meet with other staff at the Uzay Gallery in San Francisco to discuss current projects, brainstorm ideas, and eat lunch together.

Most of all, “this experience has taught me the value of community building,” she reflects, stating that “most of the events and projects that I had the opportunity to participate in focused on community building. Often when we needed more support in getting equipment, volunteers, or funding, community members were always the ones to offer.”

Over just a few short months, Malengo dived deep into understanding resource development and fundraising for arts non-profits, even attending a workshop on grant writing. She learned not only how organizations fund artists but also how artists can access funding and apply for grants of all sizes. Now, she is setting her sights on connecting her knowledge with technology by leveraging systems and programs to reach arts organization’s key audiences through search engine optimization and marketing, as well as pay-per-click ads.  She also wants to expand her research skills by pursuing blogging to provide resources to artists directly.

While Malengo did receive a few offers for summer work, the Transforming Futures scholarship allowed her to develop specific skill sets associated with her professional goals and build connections with like-minded people. She thanks her advisor, Jerry Diaz, for recommending this life-changing opportunity that will enable her to enrich her career and catapult her personal growth.

This past summer, Maria Larenas Coronel (politics and legal studies double major) embarked on a career-shaping internship as a legal intern for East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, a non-profit organization providing low-cost legal and social services for low-income immigrants fleeing violence and persecution.

After graduating, Maria wants to pursue immigration law. Her internship allowed her to work directly with an immigration attorney, who “provided valuable insights regarding aspects of immigration law, which I found immensely, reinforcing my commitment to pursuing this career path,” Maria Larenas Coronel says.

The most enjoyable part of this internship experience was “being able to give back and help out my community,” she says, explaining that she helped translate, schedule appointments, and prepare client packets. These hands-on tasks allowed her to practice critical communication skills and improve her Spanish, helping clients feel safe sharing their stories about immigrating to the United States. As a result, Larenas Coronel was able to help process 20+ work permit applications, allowing clients to begin working here in California.

Without her scholarship, Maria would have had to secure a summer job, likely outside of her career interests. Her biggest takeaway? “This opportunity validated my feelings that I want to practice work in this field in the future,” she says. She still plans to explore other areas of law and continue to find ways to grow professionally.

Camilla Pereira (legal studies and politics double major) just completed her first year of paralegal experience thanks to her Transforming Future summer internship scholarship. Over the summer, Pereira interned with the Santa Cruz Public Defenders Office, where she learned about different legal career paths, paralegal duties, and legal terminology.

Her role allowed her to help her supervising attorney with several assignments with great independence. “I felt that my work was very fulfilling working with clients one-on-one,” she says. It also allowed her to practice her Spanish language skills, which was one of her main goals through her internship.

The most enjoyable part of her experience? “Making friends with my team and going out to social events or lunches with them to strengthen our team,” Pereira reflects. A supportive department made her experience that only amplified her passion for the legal profession.

This experience has been transformative, enabling Pereira to continue gaining experience to apply for her paralegal certificate and begin job hunting after graduation. “I loved my experience and would 100% recommend my friends to apply,” she says.

Maya Mendoza (environmental studies major) used her Transforming Futures summer internship scholarship to intern as an event coordinator and youth organizer for Barrios Unidos, a local Santa Cruz non-profit dedicated to social justice, violence prevention, and economic equity. Her work allowed her to collaborate closely with her supervisor and staff, engaging with the community and building relationships across the organization’s network.

This experience led to transformational experiences, including tabling inside Salinas Valley Prison and leading a poetry night event, which allowed her to understand the ins and outs of her role. Not only did she forge lasting connections, but she also built her skill sets in writing and event planning.

Now, Mendoza has accepted a full-time position with Barrios Unidos, supporting the organization’s youth events. “My future has quite literally transformed since I will now be staying in Santa Cruz for another year working here at Barrios Unidos,” she says. As a former Building Belonging participant, Mendoza has cemented her ability to thrive in the non-profit field and looks forward to practicing more curriculum building, grant writing, and organizational skills.

tere sánchez de tagle (Latin American & Latino studies and literature double major) went into their internship as a Library Assistant and Programming Intern with the Pat Parker Vito Russo Center Library in New York City with an interest in archives and librarianship. Now, they have completed their internship with contacts in the field and plan to apply to pursue a Master of Library Science. This internship “completely altered my career path,” they said, through an experience that allowed them to learn “the importance of networking in ways I had never understood.”

Their goal for this internship was to improve their professional skills, from using new technology to networking and learning how to support one’s managers. This experience allowed sánchez de tagle to ask questions, enabling them to learn from their supervisors and work within teams. Now, they say they are able to “approach situations with extreme flexibility” and “take leadership over things I had more knowledge in than others.” Reflecting on their experience, sánchez de tagle expressed, “I wanted to be in New York and chose the internship based on my connections; little did I know that it would impact me so much!“